What We Become
by Jessica Cornell
Summary: Hermione and others are captured,forced to live at Voldemorts new headquarters as deatheater slaves. Dumbledore has been killed, Sirius is alive, Hermione and the Order are betrayed by people closer to them than they could have imagined.HGDM HGLM HGSB HGR
1. A New Life

Hermione shivered against the freezing cold air of the Malfoy family dungeons. She wasn't alone. Others, boys and girls, were huddled alongside her on the damp stone floor. They had all been forced to their knees with arms tied behind their backs and left for at least a few hours in that position. Her arms were numb and every now and then stabs of pain would shoot down them from lack of blood circulating.

_What are they going to do to us?_ she wondered, teeth chattering as she surveyed her companions. Many of them were crying and shivering same as her, wondering what fate had in store for them. Everything had fallen apart and they had all been savagely forced into the adult world. A world of pain, torture, death, and betrayal.

Dumbledore was dead, killed by Malfoy no doubt. Deatheaters had swarmed the castle to the complete and utter shock of the wizarding world. It was supposed to be the very thing that was impossible, but it had happened. She had fought as bravely as she could and had managed to take down Dolohov and Yaxley, though to her disgust she had found herself unable to kill them. Merely stun.

There were other Deatheaters that she had injured as well but she hadn't seen their faces. Most of her classmates had run around in utter confusion, not knowing what to do and panic had overtaken them. The older seventh years got along okay but still, the average student was not prepared to take on a full-fledged Deatheater. If it had not been for all the years of immersing herself in danger alongside Harry and Ron she probably would have been killed too. Once she had been incapacitated by a curse, and dragged out of Hogwarts, she had seen the bodies of her dead classmates littering the halls.

She cursed herself for not braiding her hair or something earlier. Her hair was the one noticeable thing about her and she preferred not to draw attention to herself as much as possible. From the looks her classmates were giving her, she knew they were thinking the same thing. She was a dead witch walking once Voldemort noticed her.

To her surprise and shock, those of her peers that had been thrown closest to her had formed a sort of protective barrier with their bodies, hoping to shield her and her hair from view. It was a protective gesture that had immediately made her tear up in gratitude. For people that she had never been close to, to try and protect her- well, she hadn't figured she had made that much of an impact on anybody other than Harry and Ron. They kept glancing at her too, as if trying to see what she was doing or if she was trying anything to get them out of here. It was futile she wanted to tell them, but couldn't take their hope away from them just yet.

Sounds from outside the dungeons filtered down to everyone's ears. Every movement was halted as greedy ears drank in whatever clues they could about what was in store for them. The men's voices were muffled and indistinct but it sounded as if they were coming closer. Sure enough, the heavy iron doors were thrown open and figures billowed down the stone staircase.

Cries from the smaller students started in earnest now and she had to will herself not to pass form her own fear. Her heart was thudding against her chest and she couldn't hear anything.

_Stop!_ She told herself, squeezing her eyes shut to give her mind time to shut out the feelings that weren't going to help her at the moment. She was marginally successful, in that she didn't faint and she kept a good grasp on her fear. The students that were trying to shield her from view tried their best to straighten their posture though she knew it must hurt their knees a lot.

Like a deer caught in headlights, she couldn't think properly save for the one thought running through everybody's head- what was going to happen next? Was Voldemort here?

As if to answer her question personally, the object of everyone's fear himself glided into the large chamber. His followers ceased their jeers and talking, opting for respectful- and safe- silence instead. She kept her eyes trained on the floor and her head down as much as possible. _Maybe he won't see or recognize me_, she hoped desperately. After all he hadn't caught more than a glimpse of her in the Department of Mysteries that night at the end of fifth year.

Voldemort paced slowly in front of them as if about to give a lecture on one of their school subjects. She could only see the bottom of his robes as they glided back and forth along the floor. "Well, well," he hissed, "Quite a collection of school children I have acquired for myself. Their must be twenty or twenty-five of you all together."

His words made Hermione feel sick. This was the biggest capture the Deatheaters had ever made before. Usually they just killed or took a couple captives to torture information out of. Voldemort continued.

"You can thank Draco Malfoy for your visit to his home and his gracious hospitality. Step forward, Draco."

He slowly walked toward his master though his head drooped slightly and he seemed unable to meet any of his schoolmate's glares of hatred. His blonde head contrasted sharply with dimness of the dungeons. After squaring his shoulders however, he raised his head resolutely and gave a slight bow to Voldemort.

"Yes, Master?"

Voldemort smiled a cruel smile as if he knew every single one of Draco's thoughts and the inner battle he was waging within himself. "Draco, I think everyone here-minus the prisoners of course- applauds your triumph tonight. Dumbledore is dead, though not directly by your hand I hear. No matter, he is still dead by your hand whether you were the one to curse him or not. After all, if you hadn't let your fellow Deatheaters into the school tonight that old fool would still be alive."

Several loud gasps and audible sobs echoed off the walls at his news. Apparently, not everyone had known of their headmaster's death. Draco winced, but nodded.

"Thank you, milord. I wished only to please you."

Voldemort smiled again. "And thankfully, your mother and father are still alive to share in your victory. Ah yes, young Malfoy. As we speak, your father is being taken from his cell in Ahzkaban and transported here. Your mother, I hear is overjoyed." He curled his lip contemptuously at the reference of emotion, but noticed with pleasure that Draco's color had returned to his more natural shade of paleness and for the first time relief was etched on his features. He knew Draco did not have the natural inclination for depravity that his father wanted him too, but Voldemort knew better than anybody the best ways to slowly seduce a young heart to his side fully. Now that Draco had completed the task appointed him, his family would be safe and he need not fear for their lives anymore.

At least for now, Voldemort sneered inwardly, before turning his attention back to the quivering mass kneeling before him.

Hermione dared not flinch or move a muscle for fear of someone noticing her and recognizing her as Harry Potter's best friend. Though she hated herself for it, she found herself inwardly wishing that her supposed shields would stop squirming around so much. She would think on the cowardice of those thoughts later, but for now she merely listened to words Voldemort was hissing.

"You are all now my slaves to do with what I wish." Sobs increased until a Deatheater sent a stinging curse toward a third year as a warning to shut up. "Every thought, every action you make is now controlled by me. Anyone who defies me tonight will be instantly killed. Do as I say and you will live," he paused, "for now."

After these words were spoken a fifth year girl finally gave in to her hysterics and started screaming uncontrollably. Voldemort lazily flicked his wand in her direction and to Hermione's horror a jet of green light hit the girl square in the chest and she fell dead. The people next her barely suppressed their shrieks, not wanting to be next.

Hermione closed her eyes and chanted "_It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay_" in her head to keep herself calm. She refused to give in to the scream that wanted to release itself from her throat. After everyone calmed down somewhat, Voldemort turned as if to leave and relief coursed through her at the possibility that he didn't know she was here yet. His followers tiredly went as if to follow him out of the chamber, but were quickly stopped by Voldemort's voice.

"Ah, Draco, I almost forgot," he said in a deceptively silky voice that made Draco immediately cringe and shake. It was impossible for the Dark Lord to forget anything. The men stopped moving and curiously looked at their master.

"I almost forgot your reward." Draco gave a very noticeable sigh of relief. "I have put a lot of thought into it and I know you will be pleased. Though I regret to inform you that Potter and some of friends have escaped once again," he glared at his followers who shrank away into the shadows, "I think I have acquired something that should please you just as much. And your father I might add since his incarceration this past year."

Hermione felt dread course through her veins, overshadowing her initial surge of joy at hearing Harry and maybe Ron were still alive. _He can't be talking about me_, she told herself. He would have tortured or killed you by now. _Just keep your head down_, she commanded.

Draco was now looking puzzled at his master, wondering what his reward was going to be.

Hermione felt bodies try to press closer to her and she knew that even the others could tell this news didn't bode well for her.

"Dolohov," he commanded pointing to the bloodied man with curly brown hair falling around his face, "would you be so kind as too fetch Potter's mudblood friend from off the floor?"

Hermione whipped her head up amidst the gasps and figured it was useless to try to hide any longer. The bastard had known she was here the entire time and had just been playing with her. She locked gazes with Voldemort and hoped he could tell just how much she loathed him as Dolohov angrily kicked students over to get to her. He was furious that she had overpowered him in battle.

His eyes practically burned a hole in her head as he would her hair around his large hand and jerked her to a standing position. She sucked her breath in sharply as her knees screamed in pain from being in the same position for hours. Dolohov shoved her roughly to the front of the room to stand in front of Voldemort and the rest. He wrenched her head painfully so that she was staring into his master's snake-like face.

"Now, now Antonin. No need to be brutal just because she wounded your pride in a fight," Voldemort chided maliciously while the others snickered. Dolohov's face turned red but he said nothing. "In fact, this mudblood overpowered quite a few of your comrades as well. In fact, had she not been so naïve and averse to taking a life, many of your brothers would now be dead." His tone was quiet yet each word fell like hammer blows in the chamber. He slowly circled Hermione who, though still proud and defiant, kept her eyes averted to a blank space on the wall opposite her. Dolohov gripped her hair even tighter making her back up against his chest.

"Yes, quite the little warrior you are," he commented coming to stand directly in front of her. God, he was hideous, she shuddered, not wanting to look in his face. She had no choice however since the angle Dolohov was holding her head gave her little room to look elsewhere. She couldn't tell from his facial expressions what he feeling or thinking and her only recourse was to glance into his eyes. They were after all the windows to the soul.

A second after she met his gaze she regretted it instantly. She had never looked into the eyes of someone who barely had a soul left. His eyes were dead of emotion save a fierceness she could not place. It wasn't hatred, nor anger or rage or lust. It was something else. Something not good. The others watched in fascination and confusion as they simply stood there staring at each other warily.

Dolohov ran his wand down her neck and she felt something harden against her back through his robes. She frowned and broke eye contact as realization dawned on her. "Ugh!" she said distastefully arching her back to keep his hardened length from touching her hands which were still bound behind her. She grimaced and twisted her head to glare at him, all the while trying to wiggle free. His hold on her was too firm and she only succeeded in pressing herself harder against him, much to his delight.

Voldemort gave a small smile and resumed pacing in front of her. He withdrew his wand from his robes and held it pointed at her making her stop wiggling. She held her breath and waited for what came next. Part of her wouldn't have been too disappointed if he killed her. At least she wouldn't have to endure whatever Voldemort had planned.

To her surprise, he simply ran it up and down her body and waited until it glowed a soft white and then disappeared. Voldemort smiled once again ( if you could call it a smile). "Excellent, mudblood. At least part of you is pure." His comment made the other Deatheaters chuckle.

Hermione had no idea what he was talking about but didn't say anything. She felt Dolohov's hand come to rest on her hip. She tried to buck it off but it wouldn't budge so she gave struggling and told herself there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. If Harry and Ron were still alive then she still had a purpose. It meant she had to live. In order to do that she would probably have to give in to some things she found abhorrent. Like having Dolohov's-_thing_- touch her body while Voldemort toyed with her.

"Well, Draco, come over and have a look at your reward." He turned and held a hand out to Draco who steeled himself and walked forward, impassively gazing upon his present. "More specifically I am giving you your own personal virgin for one night. Officially she is the Malfoy family slave but for tomorrow night she is all yours. After that you'll have to share with your father," he turned his face back to Hermione who had gone pale with shock, and gave her a wicked, evil grin, "and anybody else your father cares to share her with." He let his gaze travel down to where Dolohov's fingers had started trying to sneak their way up her shirt.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a movement and turned her head sharply. A boy, who was apparently having an internal struggle as to whether or not he should allow his fellow Gryffindor to be subjected to what Voldemort was insinuating, had jerked his body in an attempt to get up. Maybe he could barrel into Dolohov and create a diversion so that Hermione could escape. Everybody knew that Hermione helped Potter enormously and figured she played an integral part in the Dark Lord's defeat.

She had some idea of what he was seriously thinking about doing, but with one fierce glare she pinned him to the floor. She gave a barely perceptible shake of her head before turning her attention back to Voldemort. It had happened so quickly she hoped that none of the others had noticed.

Voldemort of course had noticed the exchange, with a gleam in his eye. He noticed everything it seemed, but this information he kept to himself for the moment.

Draco all the while was struggling to keep his face impassive. He longed to go to his parents and forget about everything that had transpired for the night, but for now he must get through right now. He couldn't even think about what he was supposed to do to Granger. He would think about that tomorrow. In an effort to hurry everything along, he said lightly, "Master, I fear Dolohov might have his way with my reward right here on the floor before I even get a chance."

Everyone laughed at his comment as Dolohov had managed to sneak his hand completely inside Hermione's shirt and had it placed on her stomach. He was actively whispering the most vile things in her ear which she did not even dignify with a reaction. She kept her face impassive for the most part and tried to block his voice out of her head.

"Dolohov!" Voldemort reprimanded sharply, though with a hint of amusement at his single-mindedness. "You might get a turn later, but for now she belongs to Draco. If anyone but Draco touches her I will personally administer the Cruciatus Curse upon them," he announced menacingly, glaring at his followers who he knew all wanted a piece of her. It was because of her and her friends that they had all been tortured by their master at some point or another.

"In fact I think another chaperone is in order. One who cannot rape her just yet." He smirked and scanned the room while she prayed that he would not call on Bellatrix. She was the only female Deatheater. As if he knew her thoughts, he purposely took his time. "Ah, Bellatrix there you are."

Her heart plummeted to her stomach as Bellatrix sauntered forward licking her lips and sneering, and unconsciously Hermione forgot all about Dolohov's previous overtures and settled herself firmly back against his chest. He looked down at her at her as if she had just made a funny joke and she glared back.

"Yes, milord," Bellatrix purred in her husky voice keeping her eyes trained on Hermione who eyed her distastefully. The other men watched on in interest as the two females simultaneously squared their shoulders and set their jaws, a habit brought on by constantly doing battle. Hermione naturally looked less intimidating out of the two, but they had seen her in action before and wondered what would happen if the two were pitted against one another in a duel. Of the outcome they were certain. Hermione would lose of course. Bellatrix was too good a dueler to lose to a school girl, but the journey leading up to the inevitable outcome would be interesting to watch.

Voldemort chuckled at the dark haired woman standing before him. "Go upstairs and call a house elf to come down here and take the mudblood to the slave's quarters while I sort the others out."

Bellatrix's face immediately fell with ill concealed disappointment. She was hoping she would be the one to have some alone time with the little slut. She grudgingly stalked up the dungeon stairs to holler for a house elf. Wards had been put up to prevent the elves from apparating directly into the dungeons.

Voldemort motioned Dolohov and Hermione to move aside and Dolohov eagerly dragged Hermione farther into the shadows for some more groping. Her fear overrode her indignation and she focused her attention on what Voldemort was saying to the other prisoners, who had been grateful for the reprieve of the Dark Lord's attention until now.

"All of you stand up," he commanded as they struggled to do his bidding. Deatheaters aided them magically though not painlessly as they rose to their feet. "Now, I want first through fifth years over to that side and sixth and seventh years over there. Any stragglers will be immediately killed. Hurry!" he snapped and they all jumped though the older students hesitated, wondering if they should lie about their age. They had a feeling their fate would be much like Hermione's.

"I will have each of your ages checked so if you attempt to escape your fate you will only be tortured."

The sixth and seventh years reluctantly limped over the right side of the room. Hermione recognized Lavender and Pavarti among those who shuffled over. There were only about ten on that side, eight of which were girls. She immediately sympathized with their plight. Especially the pretty girls. Maybe the pure-bloods would be spared, she hoped.

"You two," he pointed at the boys, who jumped and cringed, " step aside. You'll be staying somewhere different. Wouldn't want you to start breeding with each other. I think manual labor will suit you just fine. Go stand with the others over there." They looked immensely relieved at the turn of their fortunes and scampered quickly off to the opposite wall. The girls glared daggers at them for being so eager to leave.

"Where's that house-elf?" he hissed spinning around glaring.

"Here, milord," Bellatrix piped up shoving a dirty purple mess with pointy ears forward.

"You, take this lot to the west wing on the fifth floor. On second thought," he mused thoughtfully, "Severus will accompany you. Severus!"

A dark figure glided forward and bowed.

"Make sure none escape and when they are secured have the house elf guard them and come back here directly for further instructions."

"Yes, milord," he intoned as he glared at his former students. He knew the Dark Lord thought it would be funny to put him in charge. Maybe he figured they would be more likely to obey his commands. Whatever the case he barked at them to follow the elf to their new home and they did so sniffing and crying. Hermione was last. Snape jerked her arm free of Dolohov's grasp and roughly pushed her forward. He kept his wand at her back at all times knowing that she was more important than the others.

Once they made it out of the dungeons it was perceptibly warmer in the manor. Her bare feet were numb from standing on the ice cold stone floor for so long and she relished the plush carpeting under her toes for the time being. As she looked around she could tell they had been here most of the night for it was almost dawn. The sky was turning a dull gray. Did that mean that technically it was tonight that she was to be given to Draco? Or was it the next night?

They walked up flight after flight of stairs until finally it was so dark that they couldn't see where they were going anywhere. Snape uttered a low curse and waved his wand in the air magically lighting the ancient lamps that no one had touched in a century most likely. The corridor was creepy and it made Hermione shiver, though by all appearances the cleaning had been kept up. Most likely by house elves, she thought bitterly. Cleaning a floor that was never used sounded like something ridiculous the Malfoy's would do.

They stopped in front of a set of enormous double doors. The house elf snapped her fingers and they opened creakily, the room yawning before them. They were herded in and stood huddled in the center of it.

"Take their restraints off and find them each a pillow and blanket to sleep on. Do not let anyone leave this room. Is that clear?" he asked sharply and the house elf nodded happily. With that he turned on his heel and left the room.

The elf snapped her fingers again and the lights flooded on. Hermione gasped. The room was huge. She figured her whole two story house could fit into this room if both of the levels were put side by side. She noticed side rooms and one narrow hallway towards the back and wondered where it led. She watched as one by one they were each freed and rubbed their arms groaning. After her own ropes were cut she felt relief for the first time in about six hours. She was also thankful she wore at least sweatpants to bed the previous night. Even though her upper body was cold, her legs were warm.

Out of thin air it seemed, each girl was given a pillow and a thin blanket. Some girls started sobbing and sat on floor huddled together being comforted by the stronger girls. Hermione found herself surrounded by Lavender, Pavarti, and Katie Bell. They all seemed unable to speak about anything and sat in silence waiting for Snape's eventual return.

"If you guys want to try and sleep I'll wake you up when he comes back," Hermione offered. There was no way she would be able to sleep right now. The others shook their heads and they returned to their silence, listening to the some of the others speculate about what was going to happen to them.

After only ten minutes, Snape returned with another Deatheater, Avery, she dimly recollected. He was just as frightening as the rest of them. His eyes were a piercing blue that froze you when they looked at you. He was taller than Snape with short dark brown hair combed meticulously and handsome features. He vaguely reminded her of a picture of a Muggle serial killer she had seen once on TV. All neat and clean but ready at a moments notice to chop your head off. Or in this case, Avada Kedavra you.

They looked at each other for a moment and Avery inclined his head as if to say' you're the professor' and Snape stepped forward. "Listen up, all of you. This is where you will be staying from now on. You will sleep together on the floor and not leave until you are summoned. The bathroom is that way and be thankful that it is equipped with modern plumbing. All your meals will be taken in this room as well. You have a few hours in which to sleep and I suggest you use it." At this he paused and distinctly looked uncomfortable for a moment. "The eight of you have generally one purpose and one purpose only. I suppose you're smart enough to figure out what that purpose is. Goodnight!" he barked and attempted to leave when a small teary voice caught his ears.

"Pr-pr-professor?" a trembling sixth year Hufflepuff girl raised her hand.

He turned his most quelling glare upon her but it didn't do any good. Avery only looked on with a mild interest on his face. "Yes?"

"I don't get it. Wh-what is our purpose?"

He only looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. Hermione rolled her eyes at the girl's obtuseness and in the process caught the eye of Avery. She calmly met it. After a moment he cocked his head slightly and then went on to silently surveying the rest of the girls. That was what he was good at. Looking at someone and sizing them up almost immediately. Hermione turned her gaze back to Snape who was answering the girl in the vaguest of terms. He didn't appear comfortable talking about sex in front of people.

"Your purpose is to fulfill whatever _desires_," he stressed, "the Dark Lord's followers have. Clear?"

Her puzzled face made it conveyed that it was not clear and she started looking around at the other girls to see if she was the only one who didn't get it. She was. Hermione was running out of patience and decided to speak up.

"He means," she said scathingly, startling the others and turning the two men's attention toward her, "that whenever a nasty, murdering death eater needs to get laid one of us will be on hand to help him out." She glared at Snape and he sneered.

Snape had been wondering when her uncontrollable mouth was going to make an appearance and ne wasn't surprised. Avery merely turned his icy gaze back on her. The Hufflepuff girl broke down in sobs.

"Thank you Miss Granger for that concise analysis. Now everyone shut up and go to sleep. Starting tonight your new lives begin." With that he swirled out of the room slamming the door and leaving the house elf to guard them. Hermione sank into her pillow and drew the blanket up around her trying desperately to sleep but seeing her dead classmates instead.


	2. Metamorphosis

**Disclaimer: I forgot to do this at the beginning so I am doing it now. I own nothing in the story. It's all JKR's. **

**Authors note- I am horrible with inventing names for things. If any other person has written a story with name Daisy or Griselda for characters please believe that I am not intentionally copying your work in any way. I sort of just looked around quickly and saw some flowers which made the name 'Daisy' pop into my head. I don't know where Griselda came from. Also, some stuff I just write without keeping exactly to JKR's timeline. For example in this story Tonks and Remus are already married and she is pregnant****.**

_**Maybe I am just being paranoid, but I don't want to offend anybody by having them think I am copying their work. That being said-Whew! I feel better- there are almost 400,000 stories on the site just in Harry Potter category alone. There of course will be some similarities**_**.**

Hermione felt warm when she first awoke to rays of light streaming through the cracks in the drapes covering the enormous windows. A body stirred next to her and she turned her head sharply to see who it was. _Whew! It's just Lavender_, she thought relaxing back into her pillow. Pavarti was lying on the opposite side of her. Hermione noticed that most of the girls were using each other to get warm since nobody had thought to light a fire for them.

Her stomach twisted and churned as reality set back in. They were at Malfoy's house which was apparently the new Deatheater headquarters, and she was about to be forced to have sex with him as his reward for killing her beloved headmaster last night.

It was too much to think about. She supposed she was in some sort of shock. She knew that whatever hope the Order had left, was hanging by a thread right now. Dumbledore was the leader, the person the wizarding world was looking to in these dark times. She felt the bubbles of a scream work its way up to her throat, but she clamped it down firmly and told herself to breathe.

_There's still Harry_, she scolded herself, _and Ron_. Harry was the one who was supposed to defeat Voldemort anyway. He knew about the horcruxes now and that he must destroy them to finally end this. They had made a pact to finish the school year and then the three of them were to hunt down the horcruxes and get rid of the evil things, one by one. With her trapped inside with the enemy, she could only pray that Harry and Ron finished the task as swiftly as possible.

Another fear, besides this, was lurking in the recesses of her brain. Now that Dumbledore was dead, she along with many others had become the Secret Keeper for Grimmauld Place. _How long could I last under torture?_ she wondered. How long would she be able to endure the Cruciatus Curse before the agony grew to be too much to bear and she spilled her guts to Voldemort? She clamped her lips down again and reminded herself that the other more experienced members of the Order already knew this and had probably moved their headquarters already.

Tears slid down her face as she thought of her friends. The aurors and members of the Order had shown up at the castle just minutes after the Deatheaters and she wondered who had lived. Images of Tonks, Kingsley, Professor Lupin, Sirius, the Weasley's, and of course her two best friends flashed through her mind making her heart ache at the unfairness of life. Why did this happen to her? She was supposed to be helping to save others not being the one who needed saving herself.

With a frustrated groan, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. God, she was so tired still.

Just then a loud popping sound startled her. She looked over and saw approximately five women, all servants or slaves she supposed, standing in front of the doors surveying the still-sleeping girls. The oldest one, a blonde woman in her late thirties walked forward and clapped her hands loudly.

"Alright girls, it's time to wake up. Everybody up and on your feet," she ordered in a polite yet firm tone. Hermione's classmates sat up warily and slowly stood to their feet, still bleary-eyed and yawning. They stayed close to one another as they all eyed the woman curiously. The blonde spoke again.

"My name is Griselda. Before we start anything I would like to make a few things clear. First of all, you have been taken against your will and brought here to live until who knows when."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the very obvious statement of facts they already knew.

"Also, the eight of you have been singled out to be what is crudely referred to as 'sex slaves' for my lord's followers. This means that you are at the mercy of whatever man decides to take a fancy to you at the time." She paused to let that information sink in. "It would be in your best interests to go along with whatever is ordered of you no matter how distasteful you might find it. The more you fight the harsher your punishment will be."

She paced now in front of them speaking to them as if they were simply talking about cleaning their rooms, or washing the dishes, or some other chore that nobody liked. Hermione felt her anger bubbling up inside her but she crossed her arms over her chest in an effort to keep herself under control. Her lips mashed together and she bored a hole into the older woman's head with her eyes. Griselda ignored her and continued.

"Now that we have gotten that out of the way I will continue to tell what my purpose is for being here. I, along with these four women, have been instructed to prepare the eight of you for tonight. You will be bathed and dressed in suitable attire. In short, it is my job to make you as beautiful and desirable as possible for whatever man wants you. Only one of you has been assigned to a specific family," here she glanced at Hermione for a brief moment, took in her stony expression and moved on quickly, "that means that you will not be servicing one man only. Like I said before, it is in your best interest to get whatever thoughts you might have of rebelling or escaping out of mind before tonight. Life is harsh and we must all deal with it in the best way possible."

Several girls had broken down crying minutes before, but Hermione was so angry she felt like she couldn't move. She was shaking in anger at the woman's callous assessment of their situation. Words burst forth before she could stop them.

"Are you a servant or a slave?" she questioned loudly, trying to keep her voice level. The others shot her furtive looks. Griselda turned back to look at her with no expression on her face.

"I am a servant," she answered plainly.

"Oh, so you're getting _paid_ to hand deliver us to our rapists." It was spoken as a statement, not a question.

Griselda's eyes flashed in annoyance briefly. "Yes, when you put it that way, I guess I am. Think what you like of me, I do not care. I may pity you, but do not expect me help any of you in any way," she added loudly for everyone's benefit, "I will do my job as required and it would behoove each of you to do the same."

Hermione rolled her eyes once again and snorted. If the odds weren't entirely stacked against her she might have put up a better fight, but as it was she was tired. She had learned over the years that sometimes it's better to just shut up and save your energy for a more important battle.

She stood silently again as Griselda scanned their faces impatiently looking for anymore signs that someone else was going to ask her pointless questions. She had been doing this job long enough to have squashed most of her feelings of guilt a long time ago. Whatever was left was saved for her nightmares. When she was satisfied, she abruptly told them to separate into groups of two.

Hermione looked around her figuring she would just wait for whatever person was leftover. She got Katie Bell. They stood silently waiting for further instructions.

"Before anything can be done with you, everybody must take a bath. After the bath, remember who your partner is and one of my helpers will take you from there. Now hurry!" she clapped her hands again and they jumped to follow her to the showers.

What they got was a big surprise. Instead the dingy showers they had been expecting, they were greeted with a sunken bathtub the size of a muggle house pool. It apparently was always kept clean and full and hot for its users. Some of the girls immediately brightened at the lavishness and began shedding their clothes quickly. Hermione shook her head at how easy some people could be bought.

To her surprise Griselda seemed to be thinking the same thing. They made brief eye contact before Hermione lowered her aching body into the hot water. She was bruised all over with cuts and dried blood still sticking to her skin. Bath time went fairly quickly with the women walking around making sure everyone scrubbed themselves properly and sometimes even took over washing their hair. She wondered if Voldemort would punish Griselda if they lagged behind schedule. Was their even a schedule to be followed when planning the pre-meditated rape of eight young school girls, she wondered bitterly. Of course there was.

She dragged herself out of the bath along with Katie and they had no choice but to parade out of the room naked. She glared at the girls she caught looking at her, mentally sizing her up against themselves as girls tended to do to each other, and they had the decency to look ashamed.

To Hermione's surprise Griselda herself took them to a comfortable looking room with chairs and couches and lots of mirrors and girly things lying around.

"Why you?" she asked rather rudely. She wondered if it had anything to do with her 'special' status.

"Because I am in charge and my master ordered me to personally see to you," she answered stiffly taking a wand out of some hidden part of her dress. Hermione was very surprised, but she kept it to herself. Griselda held it out to Katie first and then Hermione and magically dried them off. She then waved her wand in the air again and two sets of silver 'things' appeared in the air. She had just barely registered that they resembled bracelets, when each set flew to one of them and snapped themselves around both wrists.

Hermione looked down in shock. "What the hell are these?"

"They are slave gauntlets. Gauntlets are wider than normal bracelets. They are the mark of your new status and can never be removed except by the Dark Lord himself. They also keep you form performing any sort of magic whether with a wand or not."

Hermione glared furiously at her, trying to find a clasp or seam in the silver metal on her arm but she could not. Griselda said nothing and merely started waving her wand in Hermione's direction, obviously focusing on her first. Hermione looked down to see what she was doing and noticed in surprise that every bruise and cut was disappearing before her eyes. She looked over to Katie and noticed the same was happening to her.

This was just the beginning of the long torturous session they had with Griselda. By nightfall she felt as if she were no longer human. Each of them had their entire bodies removed of hair except of course their heads, lashes, and eyebrows. They were told that it would never grow back either. A medieval tradition that constantly reminded the slave of what she had become. Their nails had been painted, their bodies buffed and lotioned, and their hair styled.

It seemed as if there was a certain look that was supposed to define their new stations. Both her and Katie had similar hairstyles and she had seen two others walking by that looked the same. All of their hair and been pulled back tightly and intricately braided and wound. A single long braid fell down their backs, while the rest was looped and braided in patterns Hermione assumed had to have been achieved by magic. She was also suspicious as to how much of her own hair had actually been used. It was bright and glossy and utterly unnatural to her.

After the hair was out of the way, their faces were done. No natural look was going to happen here, she snorted, watching thick black streaks darken her eyes and her lips redden. Her face was the last part of her she watched disappear and could only stare with deadened eyes as she became someone else.

The entire purpose was humiliate them. An hour later she stood mutely in front of a full length mirror looking at herself in horror and disgust. Katie was also in shock murmuring to herself and trying to cover her body to no avail. They had been put in identical clothing except for minor details and the coloring. _It couldn't even be called clothing, more like underwear_, she thought angrily. The top part was little more than a metal bra. Thin silver streams created curving designs on the purple material of the two triangular pieces of her top and merged with the silver strips going around her neck and back.

As for the bottom, she was horrified to even look at it. An inch wide metal belt hung low on her hips and attached to something that looked like a dark purple satin thong. The only coverage she had at all was two wide purple silken strips of material that hung straight down her backside and front. The material fell to her ankles. She half-turned in the mirror and could see that it barely covered anything at all. From the side it was as if she were naked. Katie's body was shaking with sobs and Hermione walked over to hug her.

"It's going to be okay soon. No matter how long it takes we have to be strong. Our friends know we were taken and they will be doing anything in their power to come save us. Hopefully they don't get themselves killed in process," she said drily, trying to get a smile out of the blonde girl. Katie sniffed and fingered the brilliant blue material that was hanging from her waist.

"I'm engaged," she sniffed tearfully. "I was supposed to be getting married next year. I waited to have my first time with him."

Hermione's heart plummeted for the girl. She squeezed her shoulder firmly and sighed. "I'm afraid I won't be much help to you then. I'm a virgin too. Well, I guess you already know that seeing as that bastard announced it in front of everybody." Again she tried to crack a smile but Katie would not return it.

"I know it hurts really bad the first time, and sometimes the second time too. But after that it's- it's supposed to- be- nice," Katie wailed finally breaking down into racking sobs. Griselda would have been pissed that she ruined her make-up but thankfully she had apparently foreseen the amount of sobbing that would be done by her charges and had put a full 24-hour protection on the make-up, making it water and smudge-proof.

Hermione led Katie out of the small room and into the larger one they had slept in that morning. To her surprise it had been redecorated with large pillows and rugs and blankets to sit on. A roaring fire was blazing in the fireplace and some of the other girls were finished already and were sitting on the floor trying to cover their legs with as much material as possible. Everything was brightly colored and gaudily decorated. Like a whorehouse, she noted in disgust leading Katie over to Lavender and Pavarti.

Before Hermione could even sit, Griselda strode from the back rooms and into the main chamber. "As you can see, what you are wearing right now is most likely what you will be wearing for however long you stay here. Something like this or a variation of it. It is _supposed_ to be revealing and degrading. A man is supposed to be able to look at you and immediately tell what exactly it is that you do. I don't want to hear any bitching about how you look like a whore because for all intents and purposes you are."

Hermione clenched her fists in anger as many of the other girls sniffed quietly trying not to be heard crying. The process of becoming a Deatheaters whore during the last few hours had already began to demean them and undermine their personal feelings of self-worth- or lack thereof. Griselda's words were like slaps in the face.

Before she could angrily retort however, a loud pop was heard and a house elf appeared in the room.

"Master Draco is sending me to fetch the filthy mudblood Jezebel for him," the pink little elf squeaked out in the silence of the room. Hermione froze as all eyes turned to her. How could she have not noticed the sun setting a couple hours back? She couldn't move. Her feet seemed frozen to the carpet as she just stared at the elf.

"Master says mudblood is too hurry," she ordered sounding remarkably like a bratty little muggle kid. Hermione tried, really she did, but her feet wouldn't move. Her thoughts were racing. This is it. This is really happening to me. I can't believe it, she thought numbly.

"Hermione!" Griselda snapped, though not entirely unkindly. Hermione looked over to her and to her surprise she detected a trace of pity in her eyes.

That alone set her shoulders back and stiffened her spine. She gave a sneer worthy of Lucius Malfoy himself and walked over to the elf, glaring the entire time at Griselda. She could take her pity and shove it, she thought, bitterly. Behind her she heard a small desperate voice call her name. She turned around and saw Katie looking at her frantically and pleading.

She sighed. Try to be brave, she thought. No use scaring the others witless this early in the night. "Don't worry," she assured, "I'll be fine." She couldn't entirely take the furious note out of her voice, but didn't care. The others just looked on in sadness as she followed the house elf out of the room and into the hall.

_Wow_, she thought as she looked around, _somebody has certainly been setting his new slaves to work_. The entire wing had been cleaned and aired. This time the hallways were lit. She shivered in the cold air wishing they had been allowed some sort of cloak or jacket or something. They were after all little better than naked. She realized that she hadn't even been allowed shoes. Her heart started pounding as they descended to the fourth floor. This floor was still relatively unoccupied though she could swear she heard sounds coming from some of the rooms they passed.

"Wait a minute!" she said abruptly yanking the little elf back by her arm, "Isn't there a back way or a servants' entrance or something?" A horrifying thought was just dawning on her.

The elf shook her head primly. "Daisy was told no. Master says all girls from that room come down regular way."

She didn't think she was talking about Draco anymore.

"You mean I'm supposed to parade around Malfoy Manor where everyone can see me in nothing but underwear?" she asked loudly, her heart pounding in fear. It would be more than she could bear. She was sure of it.

Daisy nodded her head happily. "Yes, the mudblood Jezebel understands. And please you must refrain from touching anything," she requested anxiously wringing her hands, "It is enough that my master's home suffers the taint of your vileness under his roof."

Hermione gritted her teeth at the prejudiced little shit's remarks, but reminded herself that house elves were not to blame for what their owners taught them. Besides, she seemed cute enough.

"Please, missy, we must go. We is almost late."

Hermione grudgingly followed her down another flight of stairs this time to the third floor which she knew would most definitely be occupied. _Maybe they would all be in bed_, she thought hopefully not seeing anyone around yet. No such luck. A couple of men caught sight of her and leered suggestively whispering to each other as they passed.

She felt her face flush in mortification as she threw her eyes to the floor in the hopes that if she didn't actually see anybody it would be easier to pretend they weren't there. She practically flew down the last flight of stairs to the second floor where she knew the Malfoy's would occupy along with some of the others now apparently. Thank God they were almost there. She couldn't believe she was wishing to be in Draco's room right now, but she didn't think it was possible to be any more humiliated. As a reminder that things could always get worse, a voice jolted her out from her thoughts of flight.

"Well, well, well, look at this," the calm mocking voice of Lucius Malfoy said from somewhere off to her right. Loud chuckles let her know he wasn't alone.

_No, no, no_, she prayed silently to herself even as Daisy halted immediately and gave an odd curtsy. _Anybody but him. _

She gritted her teeth and slowly turned to face him. Dolohov, the other Lestrange brother, Lucius, and Avery all sat, drinking in some sort of casual lounge on a balcony overlooking the entrance hall. It looked like the lounges they had in nice hotels in the Muggle world. A few comfortable chairs, some little tables and lamps for light. It was a quiet enclave that couldn't easily be seen unless you were passing it as she was at that moment.

She tried a little trick she used to use in grade school when everybody would pick on her and tease her about her hair and her books. She would just picture her heart in her mind. Then she would picture something hard like iron or rocks building up around it to shield her from everything else. She did that now, only this time she pictured a thick wall of ice. Nothing could hurt her too badly as long as the ice was up. None of their insults would matter. She looked at him impassively though it took a huge effort not to visibly shake under his gaze.

"It looks like she hasn't been taught any manners yet, Lucius. Hopefully, Draco breaks her in for you," Dolohov jibed, taking a sip of his drink and staring at her as if she were the last meal he was going to get for a long time. Rabastan and Avery stayed silent not feeling the need to say anything.

"Well, that can be easily rectified," Lucius drawled taking note of her proud stubborn demeanor. He flicked his wand and instantly her spine curved and she fell to her knees. Another flick and her face damn near hit the floor. "This is the proper position for someone like you to be in. Anytime you cross paths with the Dark Lord or one of his followers you will bow to the floor until they pass or until they tell you to get up, do you understand?"

She _really_ didn't want to answer him. She wished she could spit in his face instead. A sharp pain flashed across her exposed back making her flinch.

"Mudblood, when I ask you a question you will answer promptly followed by 'Master'. Do you understand?" He kept his tone deliberately polite just to infuriate her. He took a sip of his firewhiskey while he waited for her answer.

"Yes…_Master_," she spat out glaring daggers at the carpet. What a humiliating position to be in. Especially with no clothes on. Or barely.

"Good, good. I think there might be hope for you yet, mudblood."

"You may rise now."

She felt the pressure that had been on her back release and she was able to stand up again. She clenched her fists and turned to leave.

"Tsk, tsk. I don't believe I have dismissed you yet, slave."

She spun back around furiously and waited.

Rabastan burst out laughing. "Merlin's beard," he chuckled at the look of hatred she was throwing toward Lucius.

Lucius merely smiled and continued looking at her. "So you are on your way to see my son are you not?"

What a fucked up family. This was the last thing she wanted to talk about, with his father no less. "I'm afraid so, _Master_." She deliberately emphasized the last word and sneered. What a horrible person to lose your virginity to, she thought. She had hated Draco since they were eleven.

"The thought of touching you has left him quite disturbed all day," he continued maliciously.

"And yet he's going to," she retorted sarcastically, unable to hold back. She continued recklessly. "It's left me _quite disturbed_ all day too. If it is so disagreeable to him maybe I could have permission to return to the _harem_ upstairs…_Master_."

"Don't be ridiculous," he replied chuckling. "He will take one look at you and get over his aversion I'm sure." His mocking gaze slowly perused her body and tried without success to keep the look of pure disgust off her face.

She gritted her teeth harder and tried not to scream in rage. It would probably get her killed. She could feel the ice around her heart melting from her anger and quickly put it back up again and composed herself.

"Well, enjoy this time while you can, Mudblood. After tonight I believe I have a years worth of Ahzkaban to take out on you."

"It's not my fault you got caught," she protested, immediately feeling a sting across her cheek, "Master," she added.

Lucius abruptly set his drink down and leaned forward bracing a forearm on his thigh. His icy silver eyes bore holes into her. "How does it feel to know that the thing you've been saving for sixteen years, probably intended for that blood-traitor Weasley, is going to be snatched away tonight by someone you hate?" he asked mockingly letting his eyes linger on her bare torso.

She really could not stop the angry smart-ass comments from coming forth. "I don't know. How does it feel to be a lecherous old man panting after school girls?"

Avery choked slightly into his glass but recovered smoothly while Dolohov's pride was obviously bruised by her comments of their old age. They weren't _that_ old. Rabastan and Lucius merely cocked an eyebrow at her and exchanged a smile between them.

She felt uneasy in her stomach and told herself that whatever happened to her later, that comment was _so_ worth every ounce of pain she would receive. Lucius curved his lips into what could not be called a smile entirely, more like a predatory grimace. He flicked his wand at her and immediately she straightened.

_Come here_, a voice in head commanded. Her body dutifully did as it was told though her mind was puzzled. She fought the feeling as hard as she could but in the end it was too strong. Only a powerful witch or wizard could shake off the Imperius Curse.

She glided over to Lucius and felt her body stoop down close to his face. God she hated that man. He ran a hand up over her arm and as much as she tried to move she couldn't. His hand traveled up her shoulder and rested on her throat. He squeezed painfully and jerked her head closer to him to whisper in her ear. She was acutely aware of Dolohov's hungry eyes taking advantage of the display of cleavage her current position allowed him.

"Soon mudblood," he whispered silkily into her ear. His breath tickled her neck but she couldn't squirm away. "Soon I will have you at my mercy. I have spent months dreaming of what I would do to you given the chance, and now I have it. Before I am through you will be screaming for death." He paused his whispering and leaned back into his chair.

_Straighten up_, the voice commanded and she obeyed.

"But you will not get it," he told her, finishing what he had been saying to her before, only this time the others could hear him though they didn't know what he was talking about. "That is all," he dismissed her lazily turning his attention back to his friends.

She floated away wondering why the curse wasn't lifted yet. _Was he going to leave it on her all night long so that she couldn't fight back?_ Just as she rounded the corner to Draco's room however she felt her awareness flood back to her and her mind unclouded. She shook her head and furiously clenched and unclenched her fists marveling at how much she really hated that man. She didn't know who she hated more, Draco or his father.

Daisy knocked loudly on the door and Hermione replayed Lucius' last words in her mind. She refused to even think about what he was going to do to her. She was afraid that if she did she would be reduced to a quivering mass on the floor. _Just concentrate on Draco and tonight and worry about his bastard father in the morning._

Her thoughts were interrupted when a distinctly bored male voice called, "Enter."

She gritted her poor teeth again as Daisy grabbed her arm and half dragged, half shoved her into the dragon's lair. The door shut and bolted behind them.


	3. Cut My Heart Out

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The house elf that she was really beginning to dislike gave her a push into the center of the room and Hermione looked warily around at her new surroundings. Like she figured, it was decorated in green and silver and Quidditch themes. Her eyes wandered until they found Draco standing in front of his window with his back to her. He didn't bother to turn around.

"You're late," he said flatly still not turning. His shoulders looked tense as he continued to stare impassively at something on the grass.

Daisy teared up before Hermione could make a retort and flung herself on the ground wailing. "I's sorry Master. I tries to hurry the filthy mudblood but she's a bad girl," she cried pitifully looking at Hermione like she was a misbehaved child. Hermione glared at her, trying to tell herself that it wasn't the elf's fault. She was obviously terrified of Draco.

She tried to bite her lip this time instead of grinding her teeth together. Soon she wouldn't have any teeth left to grind. She tensed as Draco slowly turned around to look at them. Something flickered in his eyes as he locked gazes with her. His eyes widened a fraction before he smoothly walked over to a chair by a desk and sat down. _He looks like crap_, she noted with a smile. _Good, he deserves to look like crap for what he did_._ I hope he dies._

She shot him a disdainful look before pointedly moving her gaze away from him. He wasn't even worth looking at.

"So tell me, Daisy," he questioned lightly, "what exactly did the baggage do that took up so much of my valuable time?"

She snorted quietly. Valuable time indeed. He rolled his eyes to her. "Didn't anyone teach you the proper position for someone of your station to be in when in the presence of your betters?"

She stood mutely defiant and clenched her fists. A second later her entire body was wracked with the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. As the curse caught her off guard, she couldn't even attempt to stop the scream that was drawn out of her.

He must have left the Cruciatus Curse on her for about thirty seconds, but it felt like eternity. When her vision cleared, she was on the floor in a loose version of the fetal position. She coughed and dry heaved as she rolled to her knees, tremors spasming through her body that made her twitch for minutes after it was over. She braced herself with her hands and tried to keep from twitching. It looked ridiculous. Instead she looked up with best look of utter loathing and hatred she could muster. He didn't seem fazed by it; hell, he was probably used to looks like that by now.

"There, that's the way you should automatically bow whenever you are in my presence. Or any other Deatheater for that matter," he added, twirling his wand and looking bored.

"Master Lucius told the Jezebel harlot before we gots here, master," Daisy, the little traitor, informed him. Somebody had apparently been using that word _a lot_ around Daisy. "She was bad. She's not talking to master how he likes and had to be punished."

Hermione gave an odd strangled sound and lifted up to throttle the prostrate house elf, but Draco stopped her.

"You saw my father," he asked sharply looking at her now.

She nodded irritatedly and felt a sting across her cheek. She rolled her eyes and tacked on 'Master".

"Well?" he asked impatiently. She looked at him curiously but told him.

"He was down the hall sitting with- his friends-," she said screwing her face distastefully, "He made me bow and then proceeded to tell me how you've been longing for this night all day," she sneered wickedly, but hurriedly continued before he could curse her again, "I then told him that I found it equally distasteful and that I could return the _'harem' _if he was so inclined." She always purposefully stressed the word 'harem' hoping to remind them how ridiculous they were.

He impatiently motioned for her to continue. After a puzzled look she did. Why the hell was this information so vital? Freakin' mad purebloods.

"He told me not to be ridiculous and said that you would get over it. Then he decided to ask me how it felt to be in my position," she absolutely would not say the words 'virginity' 'save' and 'Ron Weasely' to Draco under any circumstances, "and then," here she started to grow uncomfortable hoping he wouldn't curse her again what she said next.

He already half expected to hear about some insult that had left her filthy (and _sensual_?) mouth and so was not surprised when she told him she asked his father in return how it felt to be a lecherous old man. That of course was ridiculous. Magical folk lived extremely long lives compared to Muggles, usually aging past 100. Lucius was also one of the most attractive men in the wizarding world and was by no means an impotent old man.

He hoped it would be worth it to her after his father punished her for it later. There was no way Lucius would ever let a slave get away with insulting him in front of his fellow peers.

He looked at her sending beams of hatred his way and stood up. He felt a little nauseous as he wondered what sort of inventive horror would happen to her after he took her virginity. No one, including his father, was allowed to touch her before he finished his task. He wondered what it would be like.

He'd never raped anyone before.

"Daisy that will be all." The elf nodded happily and disapparated, leaving the two of them alone. He walked over to her still bowing form and stood directly in front of her, enjoying her looks of discomfort at having his lower half so close to her head.

She was extremely uncomfortable and wished she could get up. This position was so vulnerable and exposed. She tensed as his feet made their way in a complete circle around her form. She straightened her torso slightly so that she wasn't staring at the swirls from the Persian rug underneath her and tried to keep him in her peripherals. This was torture in itself, always expecting a curse or a blow.

He exhaled a breath and stopped moving, coming to a standstill in front of her again. "Look at me," he commanded making her jump slightly. She pressed her lips together and forced her head to crane back. She mustered the self-same look of loathing and willed him to die right then and there. His piercing silver eyes only looked calmly back at her and she could see a torrent of emotions flying across them- anger, weariness, amusement at her expense, desire…desire?

He knew that he wasn't doing a good job of keeping his emotions in check right now. He knew she could see the desire in his eyes and he watched as it registered in hers. He wondered idly how she would react. He saw her jaw set and she looked away angrily. Well, that answers it.

She had caught him extremely off guard when he saw her tonight looking like the very definition of a sex slave. Apparently his master was reverting back to the traditional ancient mode of dress. She didn't even look like the same mudblood he had known for six years. And then seeing her in this position looking up at him almost made him lose control temporarily of course. Damn, he was tired.

She glared forcefully and willed the tears not to come. She had managed all day not to cry and she was desperate not to now. She would do it later in her dreams.

"Stand up," he ordered taking a step back and watching as she stiffly rose.

She glared at floor in front of her refusing to even look at him. She knew it was coming. Her purpose for being in this room. She braced herself for whatever he might say next.

"Take your clothes off."

She didn't move. "No," she mumbled still trying to be defiant.

He sighed as if expecting this. "Mudblood, take your clothes off. Or do you want me to?" he asked snickering taking a step toward her. She immediately back up and glared at him.

"Then do as I tell you." When she still didn't move he raised his wand threateningly but she wouldn't budge. "Have it your way,' he shrugged and he lazily said '_Imperio_'.

Once again she was under the vile curse. Her head snapped up and her eyes filled with hate as her hands mechanically moved to her neck to unfasten the metal clasp around her neck. Something was wrong. There was no clasp. Her fingers kept moving repeatedly trying to undo what could not be undone. He frowned and released her from the curse.

"What happened?"

She shrugged angrily. "There isn't a clasp. There was one earlier but now it's gone." She watched warily as comprehension dawned on his face. He walked slowly behind her and looked at the smooth stream of silver that flowed around her neck.

He smirked in amusement as he realized that he was the only one besides his father probably who could undo her garments. He touched the silver and watched as a clasp materialized from the metal. He unsnapped that one and moved down to the one at her back. That freed easily as well. He heard it fall to the floor and swallowed nervously as he realized that he had to do her bottoms as well. His hair fell into his eyes briefly as he stooped.

She was astounded at the injustice of life at this moment. She wrapped her arms protectively around her breasts and took slow deep breaths. _None of this matters_, she told herself in a calming voice. _Whatever he does to you doesn't matter. You don't care. Think of something peaceful. None of this matters. _She chanted this to herself and stared stonily at the wall as she felt his fingers tremble slightly at her extreme lower back. With one twitch she felt the circle of metal draped around her hips open and he slid the garment down her legs. His hands were surprisingly warm as they ran down her hips and upper thighs and without thinking she jerked away from him, stepping out of the material that pooled at her feet.

He paused behind her and she heard him stand up. Neither moved and her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the inevitable command. Or maybe no command at all. He might just simply rape her and shove her out of his bed. Maybe they wouldn't even do it in the bed.

Her thoughts raced wildly and all she could do was stand there, arms crossed and rigid.

Finally he cleared his throat. "Get into the bed," he said flatly from behind her. To save him another hassle he grasped her shoulders firmly and turned her roughly in the direction he wanted her to go and gave her a light shove.

She walked over to it and stared in disgust. She couldn't believe she was being forced to sleep with Draco Malfoy. Was there any possible way she could escape the manor? Or grab his wand? No, the gauntlets would not let her do magic. And the chances of getting out of his house were slim to none.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him sliding his pants down his legs and tossing them in a hamper to the side. He still had underwear on, she noted in relief, but scowled in temporary defeat. Hell, what was she thinking? She wouldn't make it out of the _room_. She couldn't even get out of her own clothes, much less a room in the house Voldemort lived in. She decided to just suck it up and get it over with. Hopefully, she wouldn't throw up on him, she smirked to herself, really hoping she did just that.

Sighing she grabbed the top of the thick blankets and flung them back ungraciously, climbing into the bastard's bed. Draco was busy looking at a paper on his desk and she turned to her side facing away from him and drew the blankets up around her, locking her arm firmly over them. The lights went out and she felt his weight sink in beside her.

Then nothing. He settled into his pillows and closed his eyes. She was in shock. Why wasn't he doing what he was supposed to do? She didn't _want_ to have sex with him, but this made her suspicious and caught her off guard. It has to be a trick, she figured. Wait until she was about to go to sleep and then-_pounce!_ After thirty minutes however and he hadn't moved and his breathing had slowed to a regular even pace, she realized that he was asleep. She thanked God for granting her this reprieve. How long it would last she couldn't tell, but for now a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Now she could concentrate on her other problem. Her hair was tight and it was making it very uncomfortable to sleep in. The lumps and bumps were hurting and she wondered if she could some how take part or all of it down. She couldn't bring herself to move and risk disturbing Draco though. What if she woke him up and he decided that he really did want her tonight?

She was weighed the pros and cons of trying to take her hair down for the next hour until she finally couldn't take it anymore. Her head was starting to pound from her hair pulling against her scalp. She quietly rolled over, inch by inch until she could look at Draco. He looked so serene and peaceful when he was sleeping. She snorted before she could help herself and spent the next five minutes making sure she hadn't disturbed him with the noise.

Slowly she rose to a sitting position which took forever it seemed and immediately began to pat her hair, looking for ties or bands or anything but she grew frustrated when all she did was make her head hurt even more. She was about to start crying when Draco's voice startled her.

"Need help?" he asked and she jumped with a barely repressed shriek. She dove for the covers and glared at him. He was apparently not asleep. Devious bastard.

He sighed. "I'm sure that you won't be able to take your hair down yourself. You'll need a wand and if I'm not mistaken," he drawled and glanced at her wrists.

She huffed and lay back down on her pillow sniffing at the pain in her temples.

"Granger, if you just ask properly I'm sure I could help you." His tone infuriated to her. He knew that she would have to beg him to use his wand to help her and he knew she hated it with all her being. This was delightful.

She blew out a breath. "Please."

"Please what?"

She gritted her teeth. "Please _Master_," she added bitterly.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He smirked and leaned over to grab his wand from the nightstand beside him. "Now sit up," he ordered kneeling on the bed beside her. She grudgingly obeyed but kept the sheet up around her chest though it left her entire back exposed.

She heard muttering something behind her and immediately felt the tension on her head release and the air swirled around her slightly before coming to a stop. Tentatively she reached up to feel his handiwork and was relieved to find just a simple braid flowing down her back. She breathed out a sigh of relief and went to lie down again.

"Come here, Granger."

_I knew it!_ she thought furiously. _I knew that if I moved he would wake up and start groping me._ She went to turn her head to say something insulting to him, but he was too impatient and she felt an arm snake around her waist as he dragged her over to his side like she was a sack of potatoes. She felt his firm chest press against her back and a sick feeling washed over. She stopped moving, fearfully frozen.

He pushed the side of her head into the pillow and leaned over her face. "Goodnight, Granger," he whispered. And then he settled down next to her to go to sleep, his body curving behind hers like a glove and his arm wrapping tightly around her. She lay there tense in the dark feeling his breath lightly on her neck. After a few minutes, when he didn't move or touch her anywhere else, she finally relaxed and let her exhaustion claim her.

Sometime in the night she was barely aware of changing positions. She huddled her body close to something warm and buried her face into something that didn't quite feel like a pillow, but she was comfortable. She threw a leg around something firm and went back to sleep. As her dreams overtook her again, the faces of the dead children she went to school with haunted her. Their eyes stared unseeing and unblinking at her and tears streamed down her face as she walked helplessly around their bodies. She clenched a fist feeling a scream rise up, but something tightened around her that was warm and made her feel better if only for tonight. So she took the comfort and the nightmares faded for the moment.

Sometime after dawn she awoke to an empty bed and looked around. The room was empty so she figured that Draco must be taking a shower or something. Her eyes felt gritty but her body felt slightly more refreshed from the uninterrupted nights sleep. Her eyes fell upon her clothes that were draped over a chair against the wall. She quickly slid out of bed and walked over to them, shivering in the cold morning air. She quickly stepped into the purple bottoms and slid the silver band up her legs and fumbled until the clasp closed in the back. She donned the top and was in the process of fastening the clasp around her neck when Draco stepped out of the bathroom silently.

She paused wondering if she would be in trouble for getting dressed without his permission, but after a glance he said nothing and walked over to his desk to sit down. Noticing a large mirror against the wall, she quickly walked over and wiped the black smudges from under her eyes. She looked horrible, exactly like someone who had spent the night in someone else bed. She frowned at her appearance, but figured she was the only one in this place who would care.

She turned back to Draco expectantly and he paused when he sensed her watching him. He stopped writing and turned to face her.

"Daisy," he called.

A moment later Daisy appeared and bowed. "Master Draco called?" she squeaked.

"Take her back to the fifth floor. Then go back to whatever you were doing before." He rose to walk to his door. He opened it and watched as Daisy scurried past him, followed by Hermione. As she passed him he held up an arm to hold her for a moment. She looked at him with an inquiring look on her face.

He paused and then looked meaningfully at her. "Tonight," he said. She eyes grew shuttered but she nodded stiffly and then left his room.

She glanced around her and was relieved to see that nobody was up and about yet. The manor was very open and the second floor overlooked the entrance hall with each room opening up directly onto a wide balcony. She could see clear across to the other side. Daisy made a loud huffing noise, signaling Hermione that she was going to slow and in annoyance she increased her pace and rounded the corner quickly.

As soon as she turned however she ran smack into something hard and tall. It almost knocked her off her feet but she recovered and looked up. Her stomach churned when she realized it was Lucius. A couple men were behind him but she didn't pay attention to their faces. He cocked an eyebrow and sneered down at her and she quickly remembered what she was supposed to do every time she saw him. She went to the floor and bowed wanting only to get this over with and return to her room where she would be left alone.

He chuckled to his comrades and eyed her on the floor. "Well, mudblood, we meet again. Isn't this coincidental?" he drawled.

She had no idea what he meant. It wasn't coincidental that they met. She was after all in his house. She kept her face bent to the floor and waited for permission to get up. She wasn't feeling very brave this morning. A boot under her chin forced her head up. She planted both hands on the carpet to hold her weight as he made her look up. Slowly her eyes traveled up two pairs of robes to settle on two faces that made her gasp in horror and shock.

Professor Lupin and Sirius Black stood before her with mixed expressions. Lupin looked at her sadly, looking worse than usual. His soft blue eyes practically pleaded with her. Sirius stood dark and imposing next to him, his long black hair falling around his face and shoulders. His face was expressionless and he looked at her as if he had never seen her before. After a moment he shifted and looked away staring at something on the wall.

"Professor? Sirius? What are you-," Hermione's question was cut off as Lucius lightly kicked her stomach, just enough to knock the wind out of her for a moment. Lupin made a noise and started forward, but stopped unable to do anything now.

"Did I give you permission to speak, Mudblood?"

"No, Master," she answered dully. Her thoughts were racing wildly. Why were they here? They didn't seem to be prisoners, and Professor Lupin looked horrible. What was Sirius' problem?

A horrible traitorous thought creeped into her mind and though she couldn't acknowledge it just yet, she knew she was right. And it almost broke her heart right there. Fortunately, Lucius clamped a hand around her neck and dragged her up to a standing position. There would be no time for breaking down just yet.

He forced her head back at a painful angle while Lupin and Sirius just watched. His sneering face loomed over her and his silver eyes trapped hers in their icy gaze. "Why are you still a virgin?" he hissed in clipped angry tones. He shook her demanding an answer.

She had no idea how he found out so quickly. She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to clear her mind. She had to shut out the other two men standing there right now and focus on what Lucius was asking her. She knew Draco was supposed to rape her last night, but for some reason he didn't. _Would he be in trouble if anyone found out?_ she wondered. Probably. And for some grudging reason just then, in her misguided gratitude, she felt the need to cover for him. And besides that she had no idea if she would be tortured as well. She carefully composed her features to reflect nothing.

"Oh," she said lightly, hinting an undercurrent of fear, "your son is quite the greedy bastard. He kept me up all night making me do the most vile things to him." She squirmed a little as he roughly hauled her up further against him. He was bruising her neck horribly, and she looked up to see if he believed her. He didn't.

"Like what?" he asked calmly, his eyes daring her to lie to him. She plunged ahead opting for the most embarrassing lie she could think of. For some reason most people believed things that were considered too embarrassing or outrageous to lie about.

Nervously, her eyes darted off to the side not really seeing anything she was looking at. "Well, master, I don't really know all the names for the things I did," she paused letting that sink in, "but there was a lot of licking, and biting, and fingers- you know, I really never thought Draco would be into _that_ sort of thing- anyway well, he ended up falling asleep before he could… you know…master," she added lamely, hoping to give off the impression that she was embarrassed and didn't want to even name the act they were supposed to do. She didn't have to act. She was also ecstatic that she was able to imply to his father that Draco was into some really kinky back-door action, and laughed inwardly at Lucius' face as he hastily composed his features from slight distaste to irritation once again.

His grip was slightly more relaxed now but not by much. "Still, I don't believe Draco would have passed up the opportunity like that," he frowned, not quite sure if he believed her or not. He cocked an eyebrow at her imperiously while she was evidently supposed to pull an answer out of her rear.

She moistened her lips and plunged on with her horrifying lie (it was working though, she though in satisfaction). "Master, I guess he was taking advantage of the opportunity in a different way. You know," she paused for effect while hoping that he would just let it go after this, "there are some things a girlfriend or a wife just won't do. But don't worry," she snorted, "he told me that I would not get off so easily tonight."

Her heart raced as he looked over her face with interest. She could only pray that he didn't drag her back to Draco's room and demand him to take her virginity right then.

She was also praying that the lies she had just told didn't give Lucius any ideas for the future. After a long moment, he abruptly spun her around, keeping a tight grip this time on her hair and shoved her against the balcony away from the other two men. A split second later she saw a flash of white-blonde and a door just barely clicking into place. So Draco heard everything, did he? Well, she was sure she would pay for it later though he should be grateful to her for lying for his sorry ass. He didn't seem as if he wanted to confront his father this morning.

Lucius leaned over her and spoke in a low menacing tone as he let his hand slip from her hair to her throat. "If I find out you have lied to me, you filthy mudblood, you will regret it more than anything you have in your life." He slowly moved his hand slowly down the smooth flat planes of her upper chest, just above the swell of her breast. He could feel her heart pounding and it excited him greatly, though by all outward appearances he was in total control.

Her throat went dry and her thoughts came to a stand still as she felt his hands so close to a part of her nobody had ever touched before. "Why would I lie about that?" she croaked out, desperate to escape the burning touch of his skin. For two people who looked as if they were carved from ice, the Malfoy's were oddly warm. She hated it. He was making her feel sick again.

Then whatever private moment he was having with himself ended and he straightened back up. "Tonight. He will finish it tonight or I will personally put both of you under the Imperius Curse and oversee it," he smirked wickedly and she had no doubt that he would enjoy watching his son rape her while there was nothing she could do about it.

"Now then," he drawled, wrapping a hand around her upper arm and dragging her back to where Lupin and Sirius still stood. This time Professor Lupin couldn't even meet her eyes. She stared stonily at him completely ignoring Sirius. Lucius pushed her forward making her stumble closer to them. "I believe you know each other, correct?" Nobody said anything. "Well, mudblood, perhaps you would like to know who is responsible for your current predicament. Who is really to blame for everything that _will_ happen to you?"

Lupin clenched his fists and stared at the floor, but said nothing. Sirius merely looked at the wall bored.

"I don't believe it," she mumbled to the floor, trying desperately to logically find a way for why two of the most trusted members of the Order to be standing in front of her in _this_ place.

Lucius chuckled. "I assure you I speak the truth. These two have decided your pathetic rebellion against the Dark Lord is a fool's cause and have joined us instead. How do you think so many students were able to be captured? You of course were knocked out during the fight or so I'm told. The others were simply trusting fools willing to follow their beloved ex-professor to safety," he taunted watching the fury rise up in her.

She felt like somebody had just stabbed her in the heart. She lifted her gaze to look into her beloved professor's eyes, hoping to see at least a glimmer of denial. "Tell me it's not true," she begged, forcing her tears back.

Lupin looked at her with such anguish she could hardly breathe. "Hermione," he pleaded quietly, trying to take her hand. She wrenched it away from him furiously.

"No, this is impossible. The two of you would never betray Harry. His father was your best friend. You're his godfather," she accused Sirius who flashed his eyes angrily at her before looking to the side again, bored.

"He had Dora, Hermione. She's pregnant. He promised me he would let her leave the country in exchange for my betrayal. I had to," he said begging her to understand. She couldn't.

"So that's it? That's all it took for you to betray everything you have ever loved and believed in?"

"You would have done the same if it had been your family," he snarled angrily. "If the Dark Lord had a wand at Ron's throat you would do whatever you could save him."

"Yes, I would,' she agreed icily staring at him in disdainfully, "but I would lie. I would have figured something out. You're not stupid, _Lupin_. The Order could have protected Tonks. You just gave up without even trying to fight. Besides, why would he want you anyway? You're a werewolf and it's not really a secret that he doesn't feel werewolves worthy enough to become Deatheaters."

He looked pained when he answered her. "The Dark Lord had his reasons."

She looked incredulous. "The _Dark Lord_?" She felt like she had been slapped in the face.

Color flooded his cheeks and she could tell he was reaching his breaking point.

"I don't believe this. This just doesn't make sense," she said shaking her head. "This isn't like you. There must be some other reason," she muttered to herself.

Sirius decided it was time to move along and abruptly spoke.

"It really doesn't matter what you think or believe, Hermione. We made our choices and are fine with them…for the most part," added and glared warningly at his friend to pull himself together.

"But what about Harry? And all those girls upstairs?" she asked pleadingly, desperate to make sense of the situation. She had never seen Sirius act this way before. Didn't he care? Last time she checked Harry was the most important thing in his life. Was he merely pretending to be so callous?

"Harry is none of your concern. And as to your situation," he paused and moistened his lips, "I will tell you once and then never bother me about it again. I would follow Remus anywhere even to the- Dark Lord. He's my best friend," he added simply.

She stared at him and gave him a look that said 'there better be more to it than that'. He continued on in a bored drawling voice. It must some pure-blood requirement, she thought irritated.

"I figured if we started out giving him something useful right off it would be beneficial to our position here and we could skip the 'Wormtail' phase. I would say that hand delivering twenty-three people who double as both slave and hostage achieves that purpose." He met her gaze with no trace of emotion in his blue eyes and she slowly shook her head.

She could no longer control her fury. Nothing she could say would get through to Sirius, but she knew Lupin felt so guilty right now he wanted to die. She wished he would. She had loved him so much before this happened and she could actually feel him twisting the knife in her back. She would never forgive him, never. Smoothly stepping forward, she leaned in to whisper in his ear. Sirius couldn't hear what she was saying but he could see his friend grow pale.

"I hope it was all worth it. I hope you like it when Lucius forces me to touch you. I hope you can sleep at night as I'm being passed around to every Deatheater who serves Voldemort. Your wife must be so proud," she finished viciously, watching as his color completely fled him and he choked and brushed past her.

She smiled cruelly as she watched him bolt away. She met Sirius' icy gaze and looked back at him defiantly. He looked away and sauntered over to Lucius who had been watching Lupin's complete unraveling eagerly, maliciously.

The only reason he had allowed his slave to talk like that to him was because had never liked the werewolf or Black. No matter what side they were on, they would never get along.

"Well, Malfoy," Sirius said smoothly, "I hope you were entertained enough for the day. I trust next time you can control your slave's tongue." He implied that there would be retribution if he did not. Lucius smirked and lifted himself off his reclined position against the balcony.

"Oh, I don't know, Black," he said casually, "I thought my slave was doing an admirable job. If I had wanted to control her tongue I would have. Don't worry,' he added smoothly looking over to Hermione with a mocking look in his eye, "I'll be controlling her tongue better tomorrow night."

Sirius left to go follow Lupin and Lucius flicked his hand toward her dismissively. She turned and practically ran down the hall away from him and the horrible truth she had just been confronted with. She could feel his eyes following her retreating figure until she turned the corner.

Dimly she realized that sometime during the process of having her heart wrenched out of her chest, Daisy had disappeared from the hallway. She never even heard her leave.


	4. Lost Innocence

Hermione bolted up the three flights of stairs fortunate enough not to encounter any Deatheaters.

How did this happen? she panicked as she ran. How did two people that were part of the foundation of the rebellion end up betraying them all? Two people the Trio trusted implicitly. Their explanations didn't make sense. Sirius had always held onto Harry like he was his lifeline, and in a way he was. Harry was the last tie Sirius had to his past besides Lupin. Was it possible they were undercover spies? Was it possible that they had to pretend to be evil for the sake of the greater good?

But how could she justify in her head the intentional handing over of twenty-three students to Voldemort? There was no way in hell the Order would ever agree to something like that. _Maybe_ one of the adults in the Order would have volunteered to be captured in order to help implant the spies, but what Sirius and Lupin did was just plain evil. They had to have known what would happen to the older females.

She shook her head numbly. They had purposely captured her to use as leverage to better their positions in Voldemort's ranks. Either Sirius couldn't get to Harry to turn him over, or he still loved him and couldn't give him to the monster. Maybe during the siege, she had been easier than Ron to target. She knew Harry had not been back up to the dormitories and she had not been anywhere near Ron while fighting. She assumed he was trying to find his family since most of them were there.

She had been surrounded by people, but now she couldn't remember if there had been any Order members around. She didn't think so. She remembered the last thing she saw was all the dead bodies of students. So out of the Trio, she was the one who had left herself vulnerable to attack.

She realized that she was presently standing in front of the door to her room (prison). Nobody had even seen me come up here, she told herself. Daisy wasn't here to accompany her this time. Lucius must have dismissed her during Hermione's rant in front of Lupin and Sirius. Was it possible to find some way to sneak out of the manor?

If she were caught, she would most likely be tortured and killed. This thought made her move forward to place a hand on the door handle. She stopped. Was she so much of a coward that she wouldn't even try to escape? _It's not being a coward to pick and choose your battles, Hermione._ She didn't have enough information to make an intelligent informed decision. And besides, she frowned looking down at her forearms, they would have been stupid not to put a tracking charm on these.

Voldemort may be ignorant but he was not stupid.

A cold prickly feeling washed over her as she stared at her arms. She looked slowly over to her left knowing who she would see leaning against the corner of the corridor. His long white-blonde hair almost glowed against the backdrop of the manor. His eyes told her all she needed to know and she knew she had been right about the bracelets. If she escaped, she would lead Voldemort straight to the Order.

Was that one of their plans? They knew that she would be trying anything to escape and they knew exactly where she would go if she managed it. Though by now, with Sirius on their side, Voldemort must know about Grimmauld Place and that headquarters had probably been moved. A chill raced down her as she wondered if they even knew of the betrayal. Were they sitting ducks at this very moment?

They locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity. She swallowed as she realized how much she had underestimated Voldemort and his followers. _Look at how royally I screwed up this entire year,_ she remembered bitterly. _Harry had been the only one to see Draco for what he was. And now Dumbledore was dead._ She turned her head looked straight at the door in front of her and walked through, closing it behind her.

The girls looked up fearfully at first but once they realized who it was they went back to doing whatever they had been. Some had fallen asleep on the enormous pillows that were strewn across the floor. She tiredly surveyed the room and located Katie sitting by the golden barred window at the back.

"Katie," she said tentatively, sitting next to her. The blonde girl looked over at her and Hermione saw the anger and despair in her eyes. "So…what happened to you last night?" she asked after a long pause. "Who- who was it?"

Katie went back to looking out the window, tears welling up in her eyes. Finally she choked out, "Dolohov."

Hermione's heart sank. Dolohov was one of the last people she would want to lose her virginity to. He was rough and mean and she knew he got satisfaction from forcing a girl. "Was it over quickly? You don't have to tell me," she said quickly, "I just thought if you wanted to talk about it…"

Katie wiped her eyes. "No, its okay, I don't mind." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Well, after you left, it was only about five minutes later when Deatheaters started apparating in."

Hermione was aghast. "They come here directly?"

Katie nodded. "They came all together last night, probably because we were all new, like toys," she added bitterly, "They were all eager to pick out their favorite. Pavarti got it the worst," she whispered darting a glance over at the girl who was lying on her side facing the wall. Lavender was sitting behind her lightly rubbing circles to calm her. "She got the Lestrange brothers, both of them."

Hermione looked horrified over at Pavarti again. She felt sick at how easy she had had it last night. She gazed around at the others and noticed a familiar look in all their eyes. They all felt dirty and violated.

"Was she tortured?"

Katie shrugged. "Probably. Those two are known for it, though Rabastan isn't as sadistic as Rodolphus. Obviously," she snorted, "he did marry that bitch after all." They both knew who she was talking about.

"So, what happened with Draco?"

Hermione felt guilty that she had nothing horrible to tell her. "Nothing happened. It was weird. He asked me some questions at first, and then told me to take off my clothes, which I refused. Turns out I couldn't even if I wanted to." Katie looked at her oddly. "You mean you could take your own clothes off?"

She nodded again. "He had to torture me for an hour before I would."

Hermione shook her head. "It must be because Volde- You-know-who- gave me to a specific family. The clasps appeared as soon as Draco touched the metal. Must be added protection to make sure nobody else can touch me without their permission," she wandered off thoughtfully. A sudden question popped into her mind, but she didn't know if she wanted to hear the answer. Oh, well. She asked it anyway.

"Listen Katie, do you remember how you were captured?"

She nodded bitterly. "It was a trap. That werewolf- the one who taught us back in third year- found me and a few others and told us to follow him to safety, that Deatheaters were attacking the school. We did. He found the Room of Requirement and told us to get into this old cabinet looking thing that supposedly led out of Hogwarts. Deatheaters were waiting on the other side."

Whatever fleeing hope Hermione had about her former friend's part in her capture ended with Katie's statement. She felt surreal at the moment. Numbly, she sat back against the wall, letting the purple silk flutter to rest between her legs.

"Oh, by the way," Katie continued on unenthusiastically, "Griselda was here at dawn. She told us that when we are up here it is our free time. We can do whatever we wish except we cannot leave the room under any circumstances unless we are called for. Also, that table of food over there replenishes itself every four hours or so," she pointed to a long table along the wall to her right. "So if you're hungry…" she shrugged and went back to staring out the window, "She said she would be back after lunch to prepare us for the coming night. Like we're dinner or something," she snorted and kept her blonde head averted from having to look at anybody else.

Hermione slowly rose to her feet and decided she needed a bath. She hadn't been violated yet but she felt dirty just the same.

The day dragged on though for the first time in her life she was glad of the boredom. Boredom meant no one was bothering them. Hour after hour passed they all just sort of lazed around on the cushions all day, their wounds still too fresh to talk about. Griselda popped in sometime in the afternoon to do their hair and make-up and change the color of their clothing. Hermione's was now a deep green and she glared at the woman in disgust. She _would_ give her Slytherin colors to wear. To her surprise, she also went to everyone and healed every single one of their wounds and just they like that they were perfect again. Perfect living dolls.

They were all sitting in the main chamber at around dusk when a loud pop resounded through the room. They all jumped in terror and Hermione watched all the girls quickly stand and arrange themselves in a line, heads bowed. Hermione had no idea what was going on but she jumped up, quickly slid into place at the end and mimicked the other girls. Something must have happened after she left the room last night to make all the girls so hastily assemble. Before she bowed her head however she snuck a glance at the Deatheater and saw to her shock that it was a father son duo- the Nott's.

Belatedly she remembered that it was summer now and all the Deatheater children would be home for the summer holidays. Great.

Theo's face was impassive as his father stood to the side and let him choose the girl he wanted. He calmly surveyed the eight girls, letting his gaze linger longer than necessary on one, because his father voice rang out, "Not that one, son."

He ended up picking a seventh year Ravenclaw girl she vaguely knew, Shannon Teagues, a pretty girl with brown hair and a slender build and she was forced to follow them out of the room, crying the whole time.

After that nobody talked much. Just waited to be picked off one by one again. Hermione reclined against a pillow and fidgeted nervously, feeling so anxious she thought she would throw up.

Another pop sounded and all eyes turned to Hermione as they recognized Daisy.

"Master sends me to fetch the mudblood," she squeaked as Hermione rose to follow her. Katie gave her another look but this time she didn't say anything as she left.

This time however they encountered a group of Deatheaters walking in their direction on the third floor. She remembered Lucius and Draco's words about bowing to every Deatheater she passed. She threw them all the most hateful look she could muster and then angrily sank onto her knees in a low bow. Maybe they would just pass her by, she hoped. But they didn't.

She heard loud chuckles as the group stopped in front of her. One man crouched down and ran a finger along her bent spine making her clench her jaw.

"Well, it looks like the mudblood is on her way for another round. How did you like it, mudblood?" The voice was not one she recognized, but she stayed silent pressing her lips together to refrain from saying anything that would get her cursed.

"Come on Goyle, you know your not allowed to touch her- yet," a voice she recognized as Avery's said. "Go get another one from upstairs."

Goyle paid him no attention. "Maybe tomorrow night, eh? If Draco can actually go through with it tonight. I mean seriously other than fucking and sucking what else is there?," he asked loudly, standing back up and glaring at the thought of Draco taking his sweet time taking a girl when it was easy, really. And he'd been waiting for a go at her for awhile now.

Before she could stop herself, a half-snort half-snicker erupted from her mouth which she desperately tried to get under control. It was just too much to take really. Goyle all but screamed he was shitty in the sack and she wasn't supposed to laugh? Obviously, from the way his hand clamped down around her neck she wasn't.

He jerked her to her feet angrily. _Just don't look at his face and you'll be fine. If you don't see his face you won't laugh._ She kept her gaze averted to the floor off to the side and made her face go rigid to keep under control.

"Something funny?" he asked menacingly.

Why of all times to have an uncontrollable laughing fit did Fate have to choose now, with these people?

"N-no, sir," her voice cracked with severely repressed laughter as her mind kept flooding with images of Goyle's dumb face grunting over some poor girl he thought was having a good time. _Stop!_

The other Deatheaters thought it was funny though because Rabastan burst out laughing.

"Merlin Goyle! Even a _virgin _knows there's more to it than- how did you so crudely put it? - fucking and sucking? Your poor wife," he snickered slapping a hand on his thigh. Goyle's wife had probably been happy to die just to get away from his oafish ass.

He shrugged. "As long as I get mine."

It was almost too much for her. Her face was now red, her lips were twitching, and she was afraid to even blink. The other Deatheaters were wondering if she would actually be able to hold it in. He looked suspiciously at her for a moment before giving her a cruel leer. "Maybe in a couple days you'll be able to show me everything you've learned?"

She screwed up her face in disgust and turned her head slightly as if it were painful to look at him. He glared at her. "It's a pity you're a filthy mudblood whore. I could beg the Dark Lord to give you to me as my new wife. You wouldn't find it so funny then would you?"

She fully turned her face to him and let her tongue fly. "It's a pity that attractiveness isn't required to become a Deatheater. I bet you have to beg for sex a lot," she taunted, ducking her head to the side and quickly bracing herself for the Cruciatus.

Of course, he stuck his wand to her side and cursed her immediately. She was prepared for it this time and clamped her lips firmly together to keep from screaming. When she was almost about to pass out he lifted it and smiled his dumb smile down at her.

Her vision returned to normal, and she glared defiantly at him again. He dropped her on the floor on her knees and sneered down at her.

"If you're quite finished now, could we proceed?," Avery drawled in a bored voice continuing past Goyle to walk in the direction they had been going. The others followed and after one last lingering look Goyle left her too.

She groaned and hauled herself off the floor. What a way to start the night. Her neck was starting to feel horrible from everybody grabbing it so hard today. Daisy had also risen from her huddle bow on the floor and told her to hurry.

She as they rounded to corner to Draco's room she carefully composed her thoughts. She knew that she would have to go through with it and that this time there would be no reprieve for her. She steeled herself as she heard his voice say 'enter' and they walked in.

This was the hardest part. The bowing. And he was facing her this time so she couldn't delay it. She looked balefully at him and he raised his eyebrows at her. Reluctantly she knelt on the floor in the center of the room again. God, his face made her want to scream just from looking at it.

"Very good, mudblood. I knew you were smarter than you looked. That will be all, Daisy," he told her and she left.

"Ah, green and silver, eh Granger? How ironic," he chuckled, referring to her clothing, and stood up from his chair by the desk. He stretched his arms and sauntered toward her. "So, I hear we had quite the night last night. Apparently I am quite the sick and depraved individual."

"I already knew you were sick and depraved, Malfoy," she retorted.

"Yes, but its rare indeed when even Dolohov is unsettled. _He's_ willing to try anything."

"Except apparently that."

He looked thoughtfully at her for a moment, though she couldn't see. "Why did you lie to my father this morning?"

She sighed, annoyed. "I lied because I didn't know what would happen if I told the truth. I figured it wouldn't be too pleasant from the way your father was glaring at me. He didn't believe me at first so I just made the lie as embarrassing and degrading to me as possible to appease him. It worked," she shrugged, "That it was at _your_ expense was a bonus."

He snorted and scowled down at her. "Well, mudblood you were right- what a shock. I was given a very… stern warning to get this over with. The Dark Lord doesn't like it when people don't do things up to his standards and no doubt he'll use legilimens on me tomorrow." He took his wand out and waved it, moving a comfortable-looking padded arm chair over to him. He sat back in it and held his wand between his fingertips.

"That being said, I did not choose this. It was thrust upon me. Simply put, if I do not sleep with you tonight I will get tortured by the Dark Lord himself for being too soft and not putting his _gift_ to proper use." He paused trying to lay this all out in practical terms for her. She was smart. She would see that it was best to not fight. "I don't wish to have that honor just yet."

She listened to him, she really did. But she still didn't care. He was forcing her to do the most horrible thing you could to a person and there was no way she wouldn't hate him for this. Even if he didn't want to do it. She continued to stare stonily at him on her knees.

His expression grew more distant and cold. "So mudblood, we are going to do things tonight that you will hate. If you give me too much trouble I will torture you. Just remember that you're in no position to even fight back."

She really thought that her head was going to explode from her anger. His words infuriated her and she was helpless to do anything about it. She could only shake with impotent rage and think of all the things she would like to do to him. Raking her nails across his pale face and watching the blood drip down his chin and onto his chest. Grabbing his cock and twisting it until it—

"Now, you may rise and come here," he motioned as he sat back against the plush back rest.

She pressed her lips together and stood.

"I said come here,' he repeated quietly but with a warning.

Grudgingly she took a few steps forward but apparently it wasn't close enough so she walked all the over and stood directly in front of his legs. _Remember Hermione, none of this matters. Nothing he makes you do matters. You don't care. You don't care._

"Now, get on your knees," he ordered calmly. Surprisingly, she only looked at him with blank eyes and slowly did as she was told, settling her body between his legs. She stared numbly at some point on his shirt. He was getting very hard now having her so close to the only part of him that found her irresistible and the outline of his erection could be seen against his black pants.

His fingers trembled slightly as he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly. She swallowed but said nothing.

Merlin, it had been a long time since he had gotten laid. Almost a year to be exact. He scowled at himself for trembling in front of her like a virgin.

Finally, he pulled out his entire length and shifted in anticipation. She stared at him impassively. "Do I need to spell it out for you, Granger," he asked in a strained voice. God, he needed a mouth around it _now._

Every part of her body was crying out in revulsion and her face felt like it was on fire as she looked down at his cock resting at his navel. She felt helpless and frozen again and in frustration he put a hand on the back of her head and forced it down. The blunt tip of its head prodded her face until he forced her jaw open and pushed himself into her.

She choked at the intrusion and he pushed in deeper reveling in the feel of her lips wrapped around him. She grabbed base of his shaft to prevent it from going any farther in as she adjusted.

He leaned back and closed his eyes as she bobbed up and down, taking him in inch by inch. He had never thought it would be so nice to have Granger's hand around his cock.

"Use your tongue," he rasped, and moaned as her warm velvety tongue slid up and around him.

Tears pricked her eyes but she refused to cry. Every time her lips slid up and down and his shaft hit the back of her throat it felt like a slap in the face. Like she was being broken down only to be reassembled by her captors.

_I wonder if this is way the other girls felt earlier. _A deep sense of burning shame washed over her and she wanted to claw it out of her chest.

He inhaled sharply and dug his nails into the arms of his chair. He grabbed her head with both hands and thrust deeply into her mouth going way past her comfort zone and curving slightly down her throat- one, two, three times, before finally she felt a hot burst of salty liquid flooding into her mouth. She was forced to swallow it and he released her head, his arms lazily flopping back down the arms of his chair.

Oh, it was the most vile tasting mess and it burned the back of her throat. Coughing and sputtering, she dry-heaved on the floor. Draco stood up and rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so dramatic, Granger. It wasn't that bad."

She looked up at him furiously. "Why don't you try it and see how much you like it?"

He grimaced. "No thanks, mudblood, I'd rather be on the receiving end. Not bad for your first attempt I must say. I think I finally found something I like about you,' he smirked and nonchalantly started unbuttoning his shirt, casting it aside on the very chair that he had just defiled her mouth in.

She looked at him in disgust. She didn't move off the floor as he slid his pants and underwear down his legs and carelessly tossed those too over the chair.

"Come here."

She stood slowly and shakily walked over to him her eyes carefully trained on the ground. He sighed and closed the distance between their bodies. She felt his erection riding high on her stomach and she closed her eyes and willed everything to be over soon.

He breathed in the scent of her hair and realized he wanted it down, wanted to feel some joy out of what he was about to do. He stepped back quickly and grabbed his wand. Her hair uncoiled and unbraided itself, flowing like rippling chocolate waves over her shoulders and breasts and back. It had to have been magically altered. He then muttered some various charms around the room to soundproof and seal it. Then his eyes flashed over her and he tossed his wand to the side and went back to her.

She was still dressed, he realized. Why is she still dressed? Sliding his arms around her trembling body he unhooked her top and let it slide to the floor. He caught glimpses of her naked torso last night, but found she was even more beautiful than he had thought. He palmed both of her gorgeous breasts and buried his face in her hair letting the comfort of skin on skin soothe his guilty soul for a time.

He ran his hands across her shoulders and down her silky arms pressing her body even closer to him. For a moment he forgot that she was being forced to stand here and let him paw her. He forgot that they hated each other and would even more so after tonight. And lastly, he managed to forget all the people he'd known since childhood -friends or not- that were dead because of him. Just for a moment.

Until he felt her tears on his chest. Then everything came flooding back to him and he felt even worse than before. _Keep it together, Malfoy. You have a job to do._ He stiffened and withdrew from her walking around to undo her bottoms and slide them off her.

His hands were steady now, she noted distantly cursing herself for crying in front of him. Thankfully, just then the lights went out and she felt a hand on her back guiding her to his bed. She just about to get in when all of a sudden his hand clamped harshly down on her upper arm and he spun her around to face him.

His face scared her. He looked angrier than she had ever seen him before. His eyes pinned her gaze and she felt like she was burning under the scrutiny.

"Is this how you want it?" he hissed angrily close to her face. "Really? Why shouldn't I get pleasure out of you? I want you so bad right now I can't even think straight," he fumed leaning over her terrified face. He wasn't making any sense to her.

"Don't you want for just this one night to feel something besides pain again? Maybe that's just me," he murmured so softly she could barely hear it. "Don't give into them, Hermione. There will be many nights of pain in the time to come, you know this."

Her breath caught in her throat but she nodded, acknowledging that she was fully aware that things were about to get painfully fucked up in her future. His lips trailed liquid fire over her cheek and along side her jaw.

"Just for this one night you can have pleasure- before they ruin any hope for you to have a normal life. Take from me and I'll take from you. Pretend I'm someone else even, if you want to. But I promise you it will be better this way," he said quietly into the side of her neck, pausing to give her the chance to decide.

God, the way he put it sounded tempting she was very sorry to say. She _did_ want to forget everything even for a little while. One night of forgetting everything but the present moment. To use someone for a change. She ruthlessly found she didn't care if it was with a person she despised. She wouldn't even have to pretend he was someone else. If she ever saw Ron again she wouldn't feel guilty. She had to survive too didn't she? And if he didn't understand that, then she didn't need him.

"Fine," she mumbled running her hands up his hips and torso and raking her nails up his chest. "Before your father screws everything up tomorrow." His eyes darkened as she pulled his head onto her mouth and it felt like an explosion of need and want.

Tongues furiously met and battled each other. She couldn't get deep enough inside him it seemed and felt his arms encircle her tightly and mold her slim body to his. He leaned heavily against her until they fell back onto the bed. His blonde hair fell into his eyes as he burned a path down her throat with his lips and found her nipple. His hand roughly jerked her leg behind her knee and drew it up against his torso.

She gasped and arched her back reaching up to press his head closer to her. He couldn't take it anymore and he lifted her up and slammed her farther up on the bed almost losing it when she moaned his name. He found her lips again and this time vowed a passionate, yet regrettably empty promise never to leave them. They were the softest plumpest lips he had ever kissed in his life and he drank them in like sweet nectar.

She felt his hand run down the flat plane of her stomach and lower until his fingers slipped over her wet, silky folds and rubbed slowly making her writhe in pleasure against his chest. She didn't care what he thought of her when she placed her hand over his pushed his fingers inside her. He could call her a wanton slut in the morning, but for now she just knew she needed something inside her.

He quietly chuckled against her mouth. "Okay," he murmured before rhythmically moving his fingers in and out, stroking a fire inside her she hadn't known existed. He rested his forehead against her chest as he tried to cool his own burning desires enough to keep from taking her right then and there- the very thing he was supposed to do anyway, he thought wryly.

Suddenly, somehow, she managed to slip her slim hand around his cock breaking all resolve he had just acquired. He sucked in a breath as her hand stroked his cock up and down and she lifted her hips to meet his hand that had started roughly entering in fast harsh strokes.

Fuck! He pulled his hand away from her and like lightning was positioned between her legs, his aching erection throbbing at her entrance. He braced his arms on either side of her body and looked at her face. Her eyes were glazed with desire and need and her face was flushed a most becoming shade of pink.

"It's going to hurt," he rasped out, though how he was even able to speak right now he didn't know. A full year, he thought to himself. Why had he waited so long to do this again?

"I know, I know- I don't care," she assured him lifting her hips to grind against his pelvis. That was all it took and he entered her, hard and swiftly. She tensed for a moment and he willed himself to stop long enough for her to get used to him.

Oh, my god! This is what had been missing. His fingers had been wonderful, but not nearly as satisfying as having him inside her and she pulled his face closer to her as he slowly slid in and out of her wonderfully tight passage. Her breasts slid against his sweat-slicked chest creating a glorious friction between them. He bit her neck sharply eliciting another gasp of pleasure from her and he tasted her coppery blood on his lips as he licked the wound he had just created. She ran her hands over every inch of him marveling at how wonderful his body felt under her palms.

"Merlin Hermione," he groaned sending a sharp stabbing thrill to her stomach, "remind me to find whoever made this happen and kiss their ass in the morning." He moaned again into her neck as he rode her harder and harder practically making her weep his name.

"It…was…Voldemort," she panted unable to breathe properly at the moment.

Ugh! How could he forget that piece knowledge? He must be completely at the mercy of his dick right now. "Nevermind," he said quickly and shuddered deciding not to talk anymore. The fire built up again as each thrust took her higher and higher until they both cried out their release, tightly holding onto each other as they returned to Earth in slow swirling colors.

Draco collapsed on top of her, breathing in hard short gasps and they remained that way as his breathing evened out and her eyes drifted shut into the best sleep of her life.

Before a refreshingly nightmare-free sleep completely claimed her, her mind briefly registered what a bad idea this had been and that she must never let it happen again. It wouldn't do her any good to develop any sort of feelings for Draco Malfoy except for the natural hate that she associated with him.

Hate would keep her sane and alive in this place however short her time here may be.


	5. Lucifer

Hermione stood in the room as Griselda dressed her and let her thoughts drift over everything that had happened the last few days. Dumbledore was dead--killed by Snape she had found out, Sirius and Lupin were traitors, she was a prisoner in the Malfoy's home, and lastly, she wasn't a virgin anymore.

A tiny part of her felt guilty for just letting Draco take her and loving it. Most of her, though, couldn't bring herself to care. If there was one thing that was becoming increasingly clear to it was that she had only herself to rely on in here. Not even the other girls, though they were going through the same thing.

She wondered when Draco was going to figure out that he didn't belong in his father's world. Probably never, knowing how dense he was, she snorted as Griselda walked back into her line of vision carrying a small potion in her hand.

"Drink this," she ordered holding it out to her.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously eyeing the bottle like it was poison.

Griselda never seemed to mind her attitude. She was always perfectly calm like nothing anyone said could ever hurt her or bother her. Therefore when she answered Hermione's question it was in a casual tone. "It is merely a potion to counter the effects of last night."

Hermione took it and shot her an insulting look. "So I'll be a virgin again?" she tossed out sarcastically before drinking it.

In an uncharacteristic display of--well, personality, Griselda rolled her eyes and walked back to fetch her wand for the last finishes touches. Hermione regarded her for a moment thoughtfully before asking a question that she had been debating all day.

"Griselda?"

The blonde look up at her noting the firmness of her voice and cocked her head to the side.

"I-," she hesitated, cursing herself for her weakness. Abruptly she hardened her face and eyes and finished what she had started. "I wanted to ask you politely for a favor." Her tone sounded anything but polite, but Griselda knew what she was doing. She had done it many times herself since she was a young girl. Hardened yourself so that nothing anybody did or said could ever really hurt you.

"I don't do favors," she said briskly expecting the girl to argue. Surprisingly, Hermione only shrugged and nodded coldly and went back to looking at herself in the mirror. The stranger.

Against her better judgment, after a moment Griselda gave a short sigh and asked. "What?"

"I want you to perform a spell on me that will not allow me to cry," she said simply though those words cost her a lot and this morning her pride was sorely wounded.

Griselda raised her eyebrows silently and regarded her. "I could get in trouble for that."

"For _that_?" Hermione scoffed rolling her eyes, "All you would have to say is that my incessant whining grew tiring and you did it to shut me up. If _he_ tells you to take it off then do it."

Nothing further was said. Griselda went about organizing the room back to order and Hermione contemplated Lucius and let her imagination do the rest. He must have been planning something special, she thought bitterly, judging by the outfit she was supposed to wear to his room. Apparently she wasn't even allowed dinner tonight.

It was like something out of a sci-fi movie in the muggle world. The skirt wasn't so bad. A long crimson one that fell to her feet and rode extremely low on her hips, with a pointed dip in the front. It was about two or three feet in diameter and had a long thick gold colored sash that was actually attached to the waistline. The sash only fell to her knees.

No, that wasn't the bad part. The bad part was farther up her body. She had thought her previous top had been revealing but this was even more humiliating. The entire thing was held up by a gold metal band circling her neck. From there two golden pieces extended over her shoulders and stopped while another piece dropped down over each collarbone and circled underneath a breast leaving a couple inches of space over the breast bone.

The only thing covering her breasts was the thin scarlet material that was attached somehow to the circling gold. The material fit tightly against her, but it took several minutes of bending over and up before she believed she wouldn't fall out of it.

Her back was completely bare and instead of braids her hair was brushed tightly back high on her head and straightened so that it fell in a controlled ponytail. Like usual she wasn't given any shoes.

"Freakin' disgusting, pedophilic, inbred, worthless-," she started to mutter.

She was interrupted by Griselda who cleared her throat. "I have decided to grant your request on the condition that you tell no one. That means none of the other girls either. Understand?" she asked sternly and Hermione nodded glad that something was working out for once.

She muttered a spell that Hermione had never heard before, though it was so low it was almost a whisper and watched as a thin stream of light blue light circled around her and disappeared. She paused waiting to feel any sort of change but felt nothing, merely a slight tingle.

"It's done then?" she questioned and for the first time in three days she saw a split second of fear on the older woman's face. It made her feel a sliver of guilt for her.

"Listen I don't want you to get in trouble. You can take it off. I won't mind," she sighed not really blaming her. Voldemort _was_ terrifying.

Griselda found her voice. "No," she said coldly, "it is done now. You will know when it is working. Again I must press on you the importance of secrecy. Don't ever speak of it again, even to me. You'd be surprised at the information a Deatheater can glean from the girl he shares his bed with," she said with a trace of bitterness.

Hermione nodded. "That thought has passed mind. I think _he_ is hoping that I spill my guts to one of the other girls. I can't really blame them for telling him anything under torture, and when it comes down to it I am not really that close to any of them." A fact she was glad of now. Voldemort couldn't use any of them against her.

Griselda nodded not really paying attention and after one last odd look, Hermione left and went to the main chamber. Surprisingly everyone was gone already and it was only dinner time. A loud popping sound made her turn her head and she saw Daisy standing there fidgeting.

Before she could even speak Hermione held up a hand to silence her. "I know, I know, Master is sending you to fetch the mudblood Jezebel," she mimicked. This house elf irritated her beyond reason and really didn't feel sorry it.

Daisy glared at her and squeaked, "Yes, yes. Mudblood is most intelligent filthy scum. Come on," she said opening the door.

Hermione glared at her back. "My name is Hermione," she gritted out stalking out of the room behind her.

The house elf turned eyes wide. "Master says your name is Jezebel. That you is descended of the muggle-loving whore who turned her back on family to lie with-"

Hermione held up a hand to stop her. Is she _serious?_ "Are you telling me that Malfoy told you that my real name is Jezebel? From the _Bible?_ That I am directly descended from the actual Jezebel who was a slut and a witch and eaten by dogs?" This was too much. At least it made sense as to why the elf called her Jezebel all the time. Stupid creature.

Daisy nodded happily, glad to have been informative.

Just out of curiosity, she asked which one of the lying bastards it was-Draco or Lucius.

"Neither at first," she squeaked, "Misses Bellatrix is telling me when she ordered me to the dungeons. Master Lucius agrees with her. You's bad for calling master a liar," she said in a shrill angry voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes mentally laughing at the image of an angry Bellatrix stomping up the dungeon stairs to holler obscenities about to her to the house elf. She didn't know why she found it funny, but she did.

Strangely enough, the manor seemed emptier than usual. A tingling went down her spine and she looked around but saw no one around. She shivered and could have sworn she felt eyes on her. Brushing it off she reminded herself to concentrate on Lucius. He was so much worse than Draco and she didn't know what he was going to do.

They arrived at the door to Lucius' suite of faster than she had wanted. For a split second she had to fight the burning panicky feeling that was screaming at her to just run away. _Stop!_ she told herself, _is this really what you're made of? The sorting hat should've put you in Hufflepuff._

She squared her shoulders and Daisy opened the door obviously impatient with Hermione. One of these days Hermione was going to dangle that worthless piece of wrinkled purple baggage off the balcony. Before she could stop her, the painfully forward house elf grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the room.

She glared at her and yanked her arm back so hard the little elf was flung to the side. She pitifully started to tear up and cry on the floor.

"Ah, mudblood that is no way to treat one of your precious house elves is it?"

Her attention was drawn to the voice and she suddenly became painfully aware of her surroundings. Lucius was sitting directly in front of her, one hand on the silver head of his black cane and the other hand resting calmly on the armrest of his chair. His silver eyes looked mockingly at her and while his lips turned up in a sneer.

Her throat went dry and her heart pounded in her chest as she realized that they were not alone. In fact, they were far from it. Both sides of the dimly lit room were lined with three or four Deatheaters on each side. Every slave girl from the fifth floor was there too, looking terrified and forced to sit on floor at their feet. She was the only one who had been forced to wear the garb, she noticed.

"Forgetting your manners again, mudblood?"

Before he had even finished that sentence, Hermione was quickly on the floor bowing low. The entire room laughed including Lucius.

"Not so brave now are you, mudblood?" Dolohov laughed.

She didn't move or speak. He _was _right after all- she was feeling anything but brave. She merely looked at the floor waiting for whatever came next.

"That's enough Daisy. You may rise."

Daisy pitifully stood on two wobbling legs and sniffed tearfully.

"Was the mudblood cooperative?" Lucius asked in a tone that betrayed that he was begging the elf to tell him 'no'.

"No, she's a bad girl," Daisy glared sniffing at Hermione who could do nothing but clench her jaw. "She called you a liar, master. I told her that's not true."

What a little tattle-taling, whiny, pathetic excuse for a-

"And pray, what did I lie about?" he inquired in polite tones smirking at her obvious fury.

"She said her name wasn't Jezebel, master," she cried fidgeting in place. "And that she isn't spawn of that filthy whore who lies with dirty muggles."

Everybody laughed gleefully including Lucius. Hermione face was red and she swore retribution against that creature.

"Why would you say that Mudblood? As your master, you are who I wish you to be. You may look up," he _graciously_ said smirking. He was going enjoy this night more than any other.

Hermione's response wasn't entirely formulated yet. Her face was impassive as she raised her head to look at him. Her eyes met Lupin's for just a moment before they returned to Lucius. He smirked again as she struggled to keep her shocked face under control.

"I'm waiting, whore," he said in bored tones tapping his fingers on the armrest.

"Well, master," she paused, nervously wondering if her response was going to make him angry and going ahead anyway, "since I am a _worthless mudblood_, meaning having no prior magical blood, it seemed contradictory to lead the elf to believe that I am descended from a witch." Honestly did these people think at all before they insulted someone?

He kept his expression neutral and only a slight narrowing of his eyes let her know he was annoyed with her. No one laughed. Every eye was on the two of them waiting for the first sign of bloodshed, like sharks.

He chuckled. "Excellent. What an intelligent conclusion. But then you already know that, don't you?"

She didn't say anything. She knew the hammer would fall soon no matter what she said. He dismissed Daisy at that moment and the only sound that could be heard was her disapparating form the room.

From the corners of her eyes she could tell the room had been set up almost the same as the 'harem' upstairs. The men sat in chairs for now but it was clear that eventually the party was supposed to be moved to the floor. A door loomed at the back left-hand side of the room and she wondered if it led to a bedroom.

"Don't worry, my pet, you'll see that room soon enough." He smiled maliciously.

She was surprised at how easy it was at that moment to keep her temper under control. Her face remained still and she merely looked at him calmly. He stared at her for a moment before his lip curled and he sneered.

"Well, it seems now that the guest of honor is here, we can enjoy ourselves." He gestured to his left and right and a low chatter could be heard as she looked over and saw the girls being jerked onto laps or being forced to do something she couldn't watch. She was about to turn her head but one of the girls caught her eye- Shannon Teagues, she remembered.

Shannon was being painfully dragged up by her arm by Dolohov and she was crying and trying to hit him. A flare of alarm jolted through Hermione's brain. She was going to get herself severely harmed. Why couldn't she keep calm and steady? Didn't she know that Dolohov liked the struggle?

She gave a low cough to get the girl's attention and caught her eye for just a split second. Hermione gave her a look that conveyed volumes and an imperceptible shake of her head. She stopped struggling and looked at her wide-eyed. Hermione didn't wait see if she did what she was told, since she turned her head to look back at the ground. The crying had stopped and dwindled to a sniffle and there were no slaps or screams so she figured Shannon was still for now.

"Now that everyone has their entertainment, I feel it necessary to do something for our newly acquired fellow comrade, Remus Lupin."

Hermione instantly stiffened, knowing what he was going to say before he said it.

"He has recently been separated from his wife and I am sure he misses her greatly. So," he drawled shifting his position to look at Lupin who did not look happy to receive anything that Lucius was going to offer, "I think the least I can do is to let him get reacquainted with an old friend. Mudblood, you can stand now."

She furiously stood and wondered if this was why Draco sneered all time- he had to live with such an evil bastard. As she turned her head for a split second she realized Sirius was sitting in one of the chairs beside him. He had Lavender in his lap but didn't seem to be doing anything much to her. She just looked scared and her eyed darted between Lupin, Lucius, and Hermione.

"Hermione, I believe you know Mr. Remus Lupin? Where did you meet again? Refresh my memory," he asked smiling.

She felt something tingling through her as she raised her head, but did not really look at him. Was this the spell working? She had felt different since then, stamped down somehow and she found it wasn't that hard to answer him.

"He was my third year Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, master," she replied in a neutral controlled tone. She heard Lupin shift in his seat clearly uneasy with where this conversation was going. _Good_, she thought cruelly. _She_ knew where it was going.

"Ah, yes that's right your professor. I remember now. I bet you got top marks in that class," he smirked, insinuating that even at thirteen she was a whore.

"I received top marks in every class, every year master," she replied wondering if it was allowed to respond to his comments.

"I bet you did. Except of course for your seventh year since you won't be back to attend. How does it feel to have everything you've worked for your entire life snatched away from you at the last moment?"

She wondered if he was also talking himself, about the Department of Mysteries fiasco. That was the night he lost everything he had worked for and went to Ahzkaban for a year. Honestly, he acted like it was entirely her fault he screwed his life up.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at her as she didn't respond. She quickly replied, "Horrible, master," even though at the moment she really didn't care if she went back to Hogwarts again, as long as she got out of here alive.

"Well, that's good. Now let's see if we can put your mouth to better use than just answering meaningless questions in class all day. I believe certain ex-professor has missed you lately. Go on don't be shy," he sneered motioning her to move with his wand he had removed form his cane.

As she reluctantly turned to walk over to him, Lupin clenched his fists angrily. "I don't think so, Malfoy. I don't require your help in procuring female company," he spat angrily. She noticed his eyes flashing from gold to blue to gold as his anger grew.

This reaction seemed to be exactly what Lucius wanted and he smiled and pointed his wand at Hermione. In a second she was on the floor biting her lip to keep from screaming. It seemed to be getting easier to handle the pain she noted. Not that she'd ever get used to it, but she definitely could tell a difference. She sort of felt like she was embracing the pain, dealing with it.

A moment later he let it up and she trembled, her head jerked slightly a few times in a spasm as she shook off the after effects of the Cruciatus. _Bastard,_ she thought. He would just torture her until Lupin had no choice but to give in. As she realized this, she got a little scared at the force of her hatred for Remus. She knew he really didn't want to be here and that it made him miserable to see her like this, about to do things to him against her will. She could see it in his eyes. And that one thought made her _so happy_. She was so angry and hurt from the force of his betrayal that she wanted him to suffer badly.

Lupin didn't say anything to Lucius' raised eyebrow. She heard one of the girls crying over her treatment and she sent her a quick glare that shut her up. As she was turning her head back to Lupin, her eyes locked with Avery's icy blue ones. In the split second they touched, she looked at him suspiciously. Why was he always staring at her? Was it his mission from the Dark Lord- er, Voldemort to watch her?

She let her eyes quickly take in the fact that the girl near him wasn't doing anything sexual. Just sitting in a very uncomfortable position between his long legs. A chain was around her neck and Avery had it wound around a fist and the girl's head was angled back against his chair. He seemed content to just sit there even as Rabastan beside him had a morose Pavarti on his lap topless with his hand between her legs.

She frowned and let her eyes drift to the carpet for a moment as she filed away this information to process later during her free time. Looking back at Lupin, she heard Lucius say something to him again. Lupin only looked at her sadly with his sandy brown hair falling into his eyes and looked down for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat and she frowned down at it.

Lucius cheerfully interpreted his action in his favor and immediately cursed her again. This time it lasted about fifteen seconds longer than the first. She slowly sat back up rolling her shoulders around that had just been contorted in pain. She looked at Sirius and sent him a look full of loathing for doing this to her.

He looked downright dangerous right now, she realized. Exactly like the insane mass murderer everybody had thought he was. He was paler now and had his hair tied back at the nape of his neck. His ruggedly handsome features which had always been friendly and inviting before this were now cold and impassive as if they hadn't known each other for three years and fought together.

She hated him too, though he hadn't hurt her as much as Lupin. She hadn't cared for him as much. She saw his eyes slip for an instant, roaming over her body and for some reason she didn't get angry. She felt strange, but shook off the feeling. His eyes snapped back to hers and they become cold and guarded once more. She turned back to her new master.

Lucius saw the defeat in Lupin's eyes and gloated. "Mudblood, your professor wishes to make up for all those lost opportunities during his short employ at Hogwarts. Why don't you use that intelligent mouth of yours and show him how much you've learned during your short stay?" He looked at her and let his eyes roam over her body freely as she stood to her feet.

She glared at him and coldly walked over to her former professor. She felt another tingle wash over her like the one before and let it sink into her skin. It settled into her subtly, giving her the strength to impassively kneel down between his legs as he shifted very uncomfortably. Sirius's heated intense gaze was boring holes into her but she wouldn't even deign to look at him.

As she reached her long recently manicured hands to the front of Remus' robes to unbutton the bottom part of his tunic, she looked up, surprising even her with her boldness. She saw his eyes had turned again from blue to amber and his demeanor was no longer uncomfortable and awkward, but pulsating coiled danger.

So, she thought maliciously, he needed his wolf to help him right now. Interesting.

He spoke now to Lucius as she started unbuckling his belt. "I'll give you this one time, Lucius," he snarled at the blonde sitting behind her watching. "Try this shit again and I promise you will regret it."

Either Lucius was slightly intimidated or he didn't care enough to respond. As she unbuttoned his trousers one by one, he spoke to her now, in a voice so low she knew Lucius wouldn't hear. His wolf's voice was raspier, not the kind, gentle, intelligent voice she had known all these years.

"Hermione, please believe me. I didn't want this to happen," he pleaded softly trying to make her look at him.

She wouldn't. "You knowingly sent all those children into the hands of Deatheaters. What did you think would happen? You didn't think that Malfoy would use our _former_ friendship against me?" she snorted.

"Please, you don't know the whole story. If you only knew," he said quietly and winced and blushed at the same time as she pulled out his rather large erection a tad too forcefully.

She slowly wrapped a small hand around the base of his shaft like she had with Draco and paused stiffly. "I know that. I'm not stupid, Remus. If you'd like to tell me the whole story, just pretend that you really enjoy what I am about to do to you," she murmured in clipped bitter tones. His face registered surprise but he didn't have time to respond because she bent her head just then and wrapped her lips around him, taking him slowly into the warm cavern of her mouth.

She heard his sharp intake of breath and rolled her eyes at how easy men were. Well, some men, she amended thinking of Sirius and feeling his dark gaze on her. For some reason, she did not classify Sirius in the 'easy' category. Maybe she was wrong. She wanted to burn in humiliation from his stare, but whatever spell Griselda had cast did more than keep her from crying. It was like a protector almost. A protector of her own emotions.

She wondered if he truly minded anything he had done, or if he was only pretending to enjoy her suffering for some reason unknown to her.

She felt Remus fighting his body's reaction to her and lifted her gaze to his anguished, guilty eyes. She gave him a pointed glare and tried to convey her message in it. He drew a breath, gave her a pointed glare in return that really had no impact because he was trying to stifle a moan, and relaxed his entire body. When he opened them again she noted with satisfaction that they were a brilliant amber. Even more brightly colored than before. Maybe that meant his wolf had more control than he had had in a long time.

Hopefully after a convincing performance he would be able to convince Lucius to let him have her again—in private.

She slid up and down him thinking with a pang how their relationship would never be the same ever again. She felt an intense stab of pain in her heart, but thankfully it was immediately dulled and soothed by something cool and calm and strong.

She ran her tongue down alongside his shaft and back up again, taking him into her mouth once more. She felt a hand clamp down painfully on the back of her head and raised an eyebrow at his new enthusiasm for her. Remus was finally letting loose probably for the first time in his life. This should be most interesting. She felt him relaxing and leaning back to fully enjoy the witch on her knees in front of him.

"I must say Lucius, next time I'll just trust your judgment without qualm," Remus growled, mockingly looking at the blonde man watching them. He smiled cruelly down at the back of her head, relishing the feel of her hot mouth sucking and lathing his cock with her tongue.

His wolf had completely taken over now and felt finally free for the first time in his life. He vowed to enjoy every last warm sticky moment of this before he was forced back inside. Besides, what could it hurt? He needed this part of himself right now. The other part of him could never dwell in such a dark place as this without his aid. He'd been coming out a lot the last couple weeks, but this was the first time anything this interesting happened.

"Come on Hermione," he growled loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "I know you don't have a gag reflex. You can do better than that," he chuckled, smirking down at her. It was a smirk conspiracy.

Completely infuriated, she snapped her head up. "What the fu-!" Her exclamation was cut off abruptly as the hand he wasn't propping his head up with clapped back down on the back of her head and shoved her face down. With a lazy smile, he glanced at Lucius who looked positively terrifying with the sadistic look that was on his face. Remus couldn't tell if he wanted to fuck her or kill her or both, but whatever he was going to do to her after she finished with him he didn't want to know.

He thought it best that he stay in charge for awhile to protect his other half.

Lucius looked around the room for a moment and narrowed his eyes. What the hell? he thought feeling a little cross at his friends reactions the whore. Sirius Black had left his chair and dragged a girl off behind it to dozens of large pallets spread out. Lucius didn't miss the look in his eyes directed toward his mudblood before he did so. That was to be expected from a muggle-loving blood-traitor, he snorted.

But, Goyle was slamming into the bitch straddling him in his chair all the while gazing at Hermione deep-throating the werewolf like he was going to die if he didn't get her. Okay, he reasoned trying to justify it, Goyle is anything but a physical specimen. He had never been with any girl as beautiful, even the ones he's raped. His attraction is to be expected.

Dolohov was completely acting as expected. He had a girl mimicking Hermione's movements exactly though not as good, beaming his lustful single-minded gaze directly across the room and into the back of her head, never even blinking. The girl giving him oral was turning red from not getting enough air, seeing as he was also tightening his hand around her neck. Lucius expected she would soon be passing out in his lap.

He felt slightly better when he noticed Rabastan only leering at Hermione every minute or so, _not_ trying to set her on fire with his stare. Rabastan was one of his more controlled friends- he shouldn't even be looking at the mudblood that way, but Lucius grudgingly guessed that he understood the effects of what he was witnessing on a man's psyche. Not many girls could do _that_ even with the aid of magic. Well, maybe he would let him torture her later.

Mulciber was sitting between Dolohov and Rabastan and didn't even spare a glance the mudblood's way. He was fully concentrating on the sixteen year old girl in front of him. The girl was tiny and could pass for younger which was why Mulciber had wanted her. He shrugged inwardly. To each his own, he supposed.

Avery, now, he could count on. Avery, slightly insane, extremely bloodthirsty, was the closest thing he had to a friend. He shifted his gaze over to the blue-eyed, motionless brunette still sitting with the chain wrapped around his hand and the girl whimpering. He was closely watching Hermione but Lucius saw none of the intense longing he had noted on the previous men. There was something there, but knowing Avery it had more to do with wanting her blood dripping from his bedroom walls than a desire to fuck her.

A small part of him felt satisfaction at forcing Remus to see what he had been missing all those years in the Order_. I bet the Dark Lord would reward me greatly if the wolf fully embraced our side,_ he mused looking thoughtfully back over at his slave. _Along with Sirius, they were two of the most powerful Order members. They knew things about the Order the Dark Lord would kill for._ _Especially now when they were weeks away from capturing that Potter brat._

He felt his pants painfully tightening as he watched her doing things she hated to her former friend. Well, if she survived tonight maybe the werewolf could have her again. Voldemort had told Snape that the mudblood was not to die yet. It would be on his head if she did. Like a good friend, Lucius told him to be here early in the morning if he wanted to keep her alive.

The things he was going to do to her tonight would fully pay her and her stupid meddling friends back for the year he had lost, along with his reputation and possibly the love of his wife and child.

Hermione was going to kill Lupin the first chance she got. The humiliation she was being forced to endure was too much. Her eyes started to prick as she felt him nearing his completion and she forced herself to calm down. She closed her eyes and felt the same tingling sensation running through her body.

Her eyes opened and she felt him thrust deeper into her throat. It was a very uncomfortable sensation and she had to relax her muscles else it hurt. He moaned and spilled his hot seed into her mouth, jerking a few times before relaxing his hold on her head.

At least this time she knew what to expect. It was still horrible and burned her throat, but it wasn't the complete shock that she had had for her first time with Draco. She sat back coughing slightly and rubbing her sore throat. Lupin was looking at her wickedly and as Lucius stood up to drag her back, he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"I have been blind, Hermione. Know that every night from now on you'll be in my dreams. With your lips wrapped around me, sending me to heaven." He sat back and laughed at her outraged expression. Just then he noticed Lucius standing in back of her. He bent down and grabbed the back of her neck to yank her up and for one instant Remus saw the unveiled terror in her eyes before it was gone under a mask of control. His amber eyes darkened as he fought his urge to rip Lucius throat out for touching her.

_He's going to do more than that, Remus._ He closed his eyes for a moment as Hermione was dragged away, willing himself not to do something stupid that would jeopardize his life…or his wife and unborn child's. He knew Sirius was watching him. Sirius had been stronger than him throughout all this and it shamed him.

The wolf forcibly willed himself to not care what they were going to do to Hermione and when he opened his eyes, he was fine. He got up to recline against the pillows on the floor and reached for a bottle of firewhiskey that was thoughtfully just within reach.

Sirius was reclining also on a makeshift bed in the corner, one arm behind his head. He studied his best of friend of more than twenty years and knew that he wouldn't have to worry about him anymore tonight. Remus had retreated within himself for the evening. He wondered what Hermione had said to him earlier. He had seen the look of shock on his face.

Hermione.

For the first time in over forty years, he was thankful for his harsh, unloved childhood and for every summer he had been forced to spend in his mother's house until he ran away. It had prepared him to steel his entire being from the moment he had entered this life. And from the moment he had first seen Hermione yesterday morning, half-naked looking like she had just come from being thoroughly loved. He had barely been able to look at her until he had regained his composure.

And he hadn't been able to keep his thoughts from straying to her.

It was wrong, so horribly wrong to do the things he had been wanting to do to her since she walked into the room. It was wrong to be so furious that Lucius had picked Remus to torment instead of him. The lust that had slammed into his stomach as he had watched her pleasure his best friend had almost made him double over. He had always thought of her as his godson's thirteen year old best friend.

He couldn't ever think of her that way again. Thank the gods she wasn't thirteen anymore.

He ran a hand through his hair exhaling a tight controlled breath. He felt so old… and tired. God, he _was_ old and tired.

He clenched a fist. It was getting harder to control the thick, black, tar that had slowing been creeping into his soul since joining Voldemort. He had let too much of it in and could only hope that when this was all over he would be able to banish it again.

He wondered if Harry or Hermione would ever speak to him again.

Hermione.

Now wasn't the time to think about Hermione though. It would remind him of who put her here.

_Control yourself. You're worse than Remus._ He blew out a breath and glanced down at the pretty, innocent girl who was lying naked beside him. He had no interest in fucking her whatsoever but he couldn't let Lucius see that. Instead he had put her under a mild spell that allowed her to sleep. He couldn't bring himself to rape her. Even for his cause.

This whole night had been a test to see where their loyalties truly lied. Lucius had known that Remus would hate having Hermione forced into doing anything with him and he also knew how protective of Remus Sirius was. He had been taunting them, begging them to sign their own death warrants. One misstep could get them both killed and risk many lives in the process.

He could only sit back and watch Hermione as parts of him were slowly broken away at what was being done to her. He sensed something about her, something new from their previous meeting, but he couldn't place it just yet.

He could only watch. For now.

Hermione stood in the room trying to block out the grunts and the cries of pain coming from both sides of her. These were her friends, her classmates. And she was helpless against the people hurting them.

Lucius walked slowly around her, taking in every inch of her exposed flesh and her stomach clenched. He ran a nail slowly down her throat and down her breast bone, stopping when he reached her naval. Her breath increased as he gently brushed her hair to one shoulder and moved to stand behind her.

She stopped breathing entirely as she realized his intent. His fingers brushed the gold band around her neck and she jerked her body, wanting to flee from all this. He laughed a cruel laugh at her distress. Was he going to rape her right here in front of everybody? Strip her and shame her? Leave nothing of her former self?

She didn't feel the tingle coming to her aid and she started to panic. Had the spell deserted her in the time of her greatest need?

He pushed a tiny knob that had materialized from the cold metal. Both sides of the circlet shrunk back into themselves leaving the shoulder pieces as the only thing standing in the way between him and her breasts. That was quickly remedied with one flick of his finger. The entire chest piece was tossed onto the floor leaving her exposed to the entire room.

It didn't make her feel any better to look around and see the other girls naked. Except for the one Avery had. Color suffused her cheeks and she raised her head haughtily squaring her shoulders and looking defiantly at Lucius. He smirked and traced his wand over her naked flesh watching her squirm. He saw her fist ball up and almost wanted her to hit him. It would make it even more enjoyable when he tortured her later.

"Come on Mudblood. I don't plan on sharing you tonight, but there's no reason why everyone shouldn't get a little preview." He used her hair like a rope and roughly pulled her over to sit between his feet while he resumed his seat. She pulled her knees up to her chest to rest her arms over them and stared sullenly at the floor. Utter humiliation.

She heard screams all of a sudden over to her left and saw an angry Goyle cursing Katie. A rather bloody bite mark could be seen on his neck and she stared in horror as she heard one of her bones break. Lucius yanked her head back warningly as her body move a move to get up. Her wand hand had already moved to her side but there was nothing there. _No wand_, she thought sadly.

She couldn't take the screams anymore dragged her nails through her scalp. She felt like her insides were being ripped apart and all she could do was sit here. To her rescue like a drug, the tingling wave of steel washed over her and the screams retreated to the back of her mind. She focused all her concentration on tracing a meaningless design with her nail into the soft flesh of her arm. Everything was blocked out now and Katie's screams didn't bother her.

"Mudblood you aren't allowed to start without me."

Lucius voice jolted her out of her thoughts and she turned her head to look up at him confused. He sneered and looked down at her arm. To her shock she had started bleeding from running her nail over it over and over. Katie wasn't screaming anymore and some people gave her weird looks.

"What? It's just blood," she mumbled wiping blood off with her thumb and quickly just licking it clean. She didn't think Lucius would want her filthy blood on his carpet. That made her smirk. "It's not as if I'm not going to see more of that while I'm here." She chuckled a little.

Had she finally gone insane? Wow, that hadn't taken very long.

"How right you are mudblood. Here, I have a present for you," he said yanking her hair up so hard she had no choice but to quickly slide upwards between his legs, raking her spine against the wood of the seat bottom.

She was sitting on his lap as he snapped his fingers to summon a house elf that had been standing next to the door in the back. Her chest was thrust upwards as he bent her head so far back she almost cried out in pain. Her nails dugs into his thighs through his robes as she tried to squirm into a less painful position.

At least most of the men were occupied by now though they still looked up every now and then to leer at her or say something crude. Except Sirius and Remus, she noted.

Lucius eased his grip a bit but only to move her face closer to his hand which held something small and dark and dank in it. Taking two fingers he squeezed her mouth open until her was able to shove the whole thing in. It tasted good, she thought very surprised as it went down her throat. So he wasn't trying to poison her. But whatever he was giving her, she knew it wasn't good.

He released her head and put both hands around her waist to hold her in place.

"Ugh! Get off me," she muttered trying to pry his fingers away from her bare skin. She knew it was useless and gave up. "Fine. Whatever." And so she sat there glaring at the floor.

It was getting hot, she noted rubbing a hand around her neck and trying to lift her hair off form her back. She felt her thoughts drift off and unconsciously leaned back against Lucius' chest, thoughtfully fingering her chin as she stared.

She looked around the room indifferently frankly surveying everything. Poor Pavarti was unconscious on the floor, but that wasn't stopping Rabastan. He picked her the first night too, she remembered. She snickered a bit.

"Something funny?"

She shrugged limply not really having much energy right now. "I was just thinking that he," she let her gaze imply who she was talking about, "must really like Pavarti." She snickered again as she watched him thrusting into her friend."

He rolled his eyes.

She stopped chuckling for a moment as she frowned at herself. That hadn't been funny. It was horrible what he was doing to the girl. What was wrong with her? She groaned as she belatedly remembered the tasty thing he had shoved into her mouth. He snorted, realizing that she had just figured out what was happening and slowly started tracing a finger in a circle around her stomach.

She could barely even feel it now. Everything was growing distorted and she blinked a few times to try and shake it off. She decided it was best to just breathe slowly.

"Look at Avery, mudblood," he whispered in her ear, turning her face in the direction of his amused friend. Avery sat relaxed in his chair apparently having not moved the entire night so far. He merely looked at her with his usual intense piercing gaze. He smirked at Lucius.

She winced a little when she saw Avery. He scared the shit out of her. More than any other, even Lucius. Now being drugged as she was she found it hard to even look at his eyes. They were like demon's eyes- blue demon's eyes.

She might have said that last part aloud—she wasn't sure.

"Do you know what he's thinking right now?" he asked close to her ear.

In her muddled state, she looked back at Avery and this time held his gaze. She slowly pushed into his mind, cautious at first. She saw his eyes widen just a fraction before he slammed the doors down and narrowed them at her. She turned back to Lucius and shook her head.

"He most likely wants to whip you with a chain until all your bones break and then fuck you as you die," he laughed.

She nodded seriously at him. "I thought it was something like that." Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

"The only girl you can drug who remains serious," he muttered digging his nails into her arm. It was comical and annoying. "Well, Avery can have you last."

She felt like she was in a dream now. Slumped over and rubbing her temples. Nothing was right. What was happening to her? She knew she'd been drugged-- she just couldn't completely wrap her mind around that fact right now.

Lucius stood up abruptly, taking her swaying form with him by the arm. "Come whore, it's time for us to retire. If you live to see the morning maybe Goyle can give you a try," he smirked looking over at an extremely jealous Goyle, and shoving her roughly toward the door in back. Jealous eyes followed them, each wishing for different reasons that he was the one going back there with that beautiful filth.

The door closed and everybody resumed what they were doing. Remus and Sirius shared a torturous, indecipherable look before each miserably reached for a bottle and a girl. It was going to be a long night.

Pain.

Hermione slowly and painfully opened the door leading out from Lucius' room. He had smirked and told her leave before climbing into bed and falling asleep. It had taken a long time just to put her skirt on and she didn't even care right now that her breasts were still exposed. In a dark corner of her mind, she was glad that some of her hair covered them a tad.

Everything was glassy. The effects of the drug still left her in a muddled state and everything seemed distant. Some of the others were still passed out on the floor. She didn't- couldn't- process who they were yet. She took another painful step toward the escape route. It was so far away.

Her hand was pressed lightly over her lower abdomen. Any pressure at all caused her intense agony as well as if she even attempted to straighten up. As it was right now she felt close to fainting. Something was wrong. She could tell. Every time she moved she felt like she was being sliced open and she still felt the warm liquid trailing down her legs.

Vaguely she recognized Remus and Sirius sitting against the wall bare-chested and talking very quietly. She didn't acknowledge who it was through her haze of pain and only tried to make it to the front door. Almost there. A few more steps.

In the distance she heard her name being called once and saw the shocked and anguished looks of both her old friends. Just then the door opened and Professor Snape stood looking down at her with his glittering black eyes, expressionless.

She looked up at him from her doubled-over position and cocked her head. "Professor… I think I'm dying," she said faintly.

"Yes, I think you are."

"Something…inside me," she whispered distantly. And she promptly fainted.

Severus bent down quickly and flipped her skirt up to see a steadily trickling trail of blood flowing down from between her legs. The blood trailed from Lucius' door and she had lost a lot of it so far. If she died, it would be on his head and he quickly looked up at the two crouched men beside him.

"I must hurry," he said harshly, standing up and levitating her in the air. He grabbed a lifeless hand and quickly apparated.

**A/N- I wanted to finally show some of Remus and Sirius' thoughts without giving too much away too soon. More to come soon!**


	6. A Glimmer of Hope

**Disclaimer-I own nothing.**

**AN-This is mostly just a filler chapter that I wanted to write. Certain things have to happen before Hermione can leave. I wanted to add some Snape and more of Draco's inner thoughts.**

**Also, I needed to have Griselda tell Hermione more about the spell she used on her.**

**It should pick up more in the next chapter. Definitely some Sirius finally. ******

Hermione awoke very slowly, her eyelids fluttering open in the dimness. She felt wonderfully numb and heavy. There was a faint buzzing in her brain and she turned her head to the side to try and see where she was.

A dark figure stirred in the shadows, walking forward toward her with soft clicking steps in the stone floor. She couldn't make out his face and a dulled sense of panic tried to overtake her. She tried to sit up but her body wouldn't move.

"Be still, Miss Granger. You are safe for the moment."

The voice was familiar but she didn't have the strength to figure out who it was. She decided to believe him, whoever it was, and before she could try to say anything, darkness overtook her again.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Where am I?_ Her eyes opened again, this time she had more clarity in her vision and a tad more alertness. Her eyes rolled around the dark chamber taking in it sparseness and sterility. Everything was still hazy but she tried to move anyway.

Slowly she moved her fingers, then her hands, until finally she could lift her arms. Shakily she ran her hands over her torso and found that she was naked except for a single white sheet draped over her body.

_What am I doing here?_ She tried to sit up and was met with a wave of dizziness that almost made her pass out again. She gasped as a stab of pain bolted over her abdomen and she clutched at her lower region and rolled onto her side.

"What…the fuck!" she gasped, taking deep breaths through her nose as the pain ebbed slowly. The images from the night with Lucius were distorted and hazy. She definitely remembered pain, agonizing pain. She also blanched as she remembered what else he had done to her—forcing himself on her again and again. She vaguely remembered seeing Avery in there as well off and on though she didn't specifically remember him actually doing anything to her, only watching them with those blue eyes of his.

She shuddered and fought down the urge to scream. A movement caught her attention but she didn't move from her position.

"You're awake. Here drink this," the voice commanded.

She couldn't open her eyes and she dare not move for fear of the pain coming again. She merely kept her arms where they where and opened her hand so that he could put the bottle in it. She could only hope that it killed her. It didn't.

The horrible cramping immediately went away and she felt more invigorated. Cautiously she rolled over and breathed deeply waiting for the nausea but none came.

"Who are you?" she asked.

His voice was mocking as he answered her. "You don't know?"

Her eyes flew open. Snape. She nodded her head tiredly and closed her eyes again. "Where am I?"

"In one of my private rooms. You have been unconscious for three days and have suffered extreme blood loss."

"What happened?" she croaked watching him as he walked over to get a tray. God, everything was taking so much effort. Just training her eyes on something took energy it seemed. He walked back around to her side placing the tray by her bedside. There were a few bloody instruments along with an odd thing that looked like a ball with thin razor blades sticking out in all directions.

She only raised her eyebrows at him. He grimaced and shifted impatiently.

"When I found you, you were bleeding profusely from between your legs. Nothing I could do would stop the blood. It was then I discovered why. Malfoy had shoved this," he indicated the sliver ball on the tray, "up inside you so that every time you moved, you would be cut in all directions. Unfortunately, you were minutes from dying when I found you so I had to use a Summoning charm to retrieve it," he finished with no emotion.

She raised an eyebrow incredulously at him and instinctively moved a down hand down _there_. She couldn't believe he had 'Accio'd' something from her vagina. She wondered how he would like it if she 'summoned' one of his balls. He rolled his eyes at her indignation and snorted.

"After the potions wear off you should be able to remember everything more clearly."

"Thank-you," she said sarcastically, exhausted and wanting to go back to sleep. "So what are the effects?"

"Probably minimal. Scarring and internal pain for awhile, but other than that--," he shrugged and turned, leaving the last part open.

Another thought came to her suddenly. "You killed Dumbledore," she said without thinking and saw him immediately stiffen.

"So I did. How clever of you to state the obvious. He should not have foolishly placed his trust in me for all those years," he sneered about to walk away again.

"I've never known Dumbledore to misplace his trust in anyone," she murmured looking at him strangely and waiting for him to turn around.

"Well, there is a first time for anything," he said coldly.

"Yes there is," she agreed tiredly. "I just find it all hard to believe." And before he could ask her what she meant by that, she fell asleep again. She missed the long searching look Snape gave her after her eyes closed.

After another day of lying motionless on the sick bed, she was allowed to return to her room. Snape accompanied her, and she breathed a sigh of relief that she wouldn't have to bow to anyone on the way. It still hurt a lot to sit or put any sort of pressure on that area.

She was startled by the greeting she received when she returned. Most of the girls were crying and gasping at her sudden return and they made a pallet for her on the floor. She awkwardly lowered herself onto them, exhausted from the journey even Snape had taken her through a secret passage that was much shorter. The throbbing from between her legs eased some.

Almost at once they fell silent, seeing the extent of her pain.

"Hermione, what happened?" a choked voice asked and she opened her eyes to look at Pavarti.

A cold feeling coursed through her as once again she remembered that awful night. Snape had been right. Once the potions had worn off she had remembered everything even though the drugs Lucius had given her made some things cloudy. She even remembered him shoving that _thing_ inside her and the agony that followed. She had passed out twice before he had smirked and told her to get out.

Seven faces looked at her frightened and anxious. She had wanted to talk to them anyway and now was about a good a time as any.

"Listen, I already knew Malfoy was going to something horrible to me so it wasn't a shock. Don't worry," she assured them, "I'm fine." They weren't stupid. They recognized a blatant lie when they saw one, but they stayed silent.

"Listen, come closer for a minute," she asked tiredly waving them to huddle. "There are a few things I wanted to talk to you about. First of all, no one can attempt to escape yet," she informed and watched as their faces turned into shock.

"What do you mean," Shannon asked shrilly looking like she was about to get hysterical.

Hermione put a hand up to stop her. "These gauntlets have tracking charms installed on them," she said pointing to her own. "If you did somehow manage to escape, they would be expecting and probably allowing it even. A trap. Wherever you go, you would be leading Deatheaters there. Your families would be killed," she said seriously looking at each of them. They all blanched and some had tears running down their cheeks.

"So we're just stuck here?" one girl demanded looking accusingly at Hermione as if it were personally her fault.

She sighed. "That's right. I'm sorry but for the time being we are all stuck here. But don't lose hope," she added quickly knowing important it was to keep morale up, "if there is any chance at all for us to escape I promise you I will find it." She took another deep breath as she prepared to continue.

"Also, every one of you needs to be careful when you are alone with whatever piece of hippogriff shit happens to have you at the time. There is the very real possibility that everything that is spoken in this room amongst us is being inadvertently passed on to Deatheaters."

They stared at her.

"Have any Deatheaters been asking any of you questions? Even harmless ones such as your favorite color? Or which girl up here is the bitchiest? Anything?" she looked around at each one of them, but only one raised her arm.

It was the Hufflepuff girl she remembered from the first night. It was also the girl that was with Avery the night that Lucius hurt her. A sinking feeling started slowly spreading through her.

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell, but Avery has been really nice to me. He only wants to talk because he's lonely. He has a wife you know, but they haven't seen each other in a long time," she whispered happily. "He hardly ever hurts me and doesn't ever try anything physical."

Hermione looked at her sharply. "What does he ask you?"

The girl thought for a moment and Hermione stifled an impatient sigh. "Well, we talk about everything. He is very polite and inquisitive. He asks about my friends and about Hogwarts and… just chit chat. Every now and then he asks how things are going up here. If we get along, who causes trouble, who is the unhappiest… that sort of thing. Oh! I remember something," she squeaked excitedly sitting more upright. Hermione perked up. "It was after that night when Lucius…" she drifted off uncomfortably looking at the ground.

"It's okay. Continue," Hermione told her, her heart racing.

"Well, he asked about you. He wanted to know if I had ever seen you do anything strange since our imprisonment."

Hermione was confused. Strange? "What do you mean?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Well, like magical. I told them that nobody could because our bracelets prohibit it. He nodded and went quiet, then he asked if you and Griselda got along at all. I laughed and told him you hated each other."

Hermione held her breath. Did he suspect Griselda had helped her? How could he possibly know that? "What did he say?"

The girl shrugged. "He seemed satisfied and just wanted me to sit in lap and while he stroked my hair. It was actually nice. I think he might like me," she whispered, with thinly veiled excitement. The other girls shot her dirty, disgusted looks to which she was oblivious.

Hermione closed her eyes at the girl's stupidity. Avery was using her to glean information. He must have known she was the simplest out of all of them. Who knows how much she had already passed unknowingly to him.

"Listen to me," she said sharply, grabbing her arm a little too roughly, "you have to stop talking to him so freely. He doesn't like you. He's using you to get information about me and possibly the rest of the girls. He is smart, very smart and he will not hesitate to kill you once he's done with you."

The girl glared at her. "You don't even know him. He treats me better than any of you get treated. He's nicer than anyone else. You think you're so smart but you're not!" She got up and walked over to the other side of the room, crying.

Hermione shook her head again at the girl's ignorance. Once more she looked around at the remaining faces. "I'm serious. I know that under threat of torture it's almost impossible to keep silent, and it's even more difficult when they catch you off guard with friendliness." She glanced over. "I just think it would be a good idea if nothing important was spoken aloud to each other. I'll do the same. Remember that when it comes down to it, all you really have in this place is yourself."

The girls looked miserable at being told that they couldn't even trust their best friends. Hermione had more cheerful news for them.

"Also one last thing." They all groaned. "From now on, stop fighting them. Save your energy and channel your hatred of them so that when the time comes we'll be ready."

Katie looked at her. "Are you saying that we should just lay back and let them rape us? Like whores?" Her voice sounded a little unnatural and Hermione took her hand.

"I'm saying that the more you resist the more you will be tortured. Voldemort is a sick bastard and he is very unpredictable. He might kill you sooner than put up with you. Or he might track your family down and kill them instead. Or, torture you endlessly for resisting, kill your family, then kill you."

Katie's face paled.

"If anybody resists it will be me," Hermione said firmly, "Voldemort is keeping me alive for right now, probably to torture later for information and to get to Harry. I will be able to get away with more than you guys can."

She closed her eyes, her energy draining. "That's all I wanted to say. You can do what you like." She let sleep take her again and heard the other girls slowly walking away, probably to talk about what she just said.

She couldn't sleep very long. Every few minutes she kept jerking awake, feeling like someone was about to hurt her. Her nerves wouldn't calm down. Lavender walked her over a plate of food, telling her she looked pale. Hermione was very grateful and realized she'd hardly eaten solid food the last few days. After the food she fell asleep again, wondering how long her reprieve was going to be. Would Lucius summon her again? She didn't think she would survive if he tried to force himself on her again.

"Hermione."

She opened her eyes to see Griselda standing above her. Her face as always was impassive, but something kin to worry was in her eyes. Hermione struggled to stand and followed her to the back room.

"Draco Malfoy has informed me that he will be arriving to collect you for the night in ten minutes. I must get you ready," she said tonelessly, stripping off the horrid gown that Snape had tossed her earlier and checking for any wounds that needed healing.

"Snape told me to tell you to only heal the superficial cuts and not to go deeper else it would interfere with his healing," Hermione informed her. Griselda only nodded and continued. Hermione was back to being dressed in her normal attire this time the color was a dark blue.

The throbbing between her legs had increased since she had been standing. She bit her lip and turned to Griselda. "How am I supposed to do anything tonight? I feel like I'm being pulled in two just standing here."

Griselda merely shrugged and started in on her hair. After a moment, Hermione felt the need to inform Griselda what Avery had been asking. She quietly checked to make sure no one was around and then dropped her voice to a whisper.

"The girl that Avery has been spending all his time with told me has been asking about me, if I have been doing any magic since being here. And… he asked how close you and I are," she finished, biting her lip and looking at the other woman expectantly.

Griselda froze for an instant and then continued on as normal. "What did the girl say?"

"She told him we hate each other," she grinned, "She said Avery seemed to believe it and stopped bothering her."

Griselda now started looking at her closely. "And what of you? Have you done anything suspicious, Hermione?"

Hermione gaped at her. "What? Like use magic? I can't! You said these bracelets inhibit magical functioning." Her eyes narrowed on the other woman.

Griselda instantly took out her wand and waved silencing charms around the room. "Listen, the spell I performed on you wasn't just to prevent you from crying. It was stronger than that and more complicated."

"Like how?"

"It was a kind of protection spell and an enhancing spell all in one—only vastly more complicated."

"Protection spell?" she repeated, unblinking, processing every word the older woman was saying. "What the hell was it supposed to protect me from? It obviously didn't do its job," she snorted drily.

"Quickly, listen to me. There's not much time before Draco will arrive. It's very complicated like I said," she repeated, rushed. "I know you felt it working last night. A sort of feeling washed over and you instantly had courage, or you kept your temper, or you simply were able to block out pain, etc.," she waved her hand hurriedly, trying to see if Hermione was following what she was saying.

"Yes, of course I felt that. One time I was even able to block out completely Katie being tortured. It was weird… but nice," she frowned.

"Well, the other thing the spell does is heighten and enhance certain senses that can help you when you are in trouble, such as intuitively knowing something, or taking control of a situation, or knowing what to say and when to say it, and sometimes… it will heighten your magical capabilities," she sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing a temple.

"Okay," Hermione said slowly, "but I haven't done any magic yet."

"Then why would Avery be suspicious? Think. Think very hard," she whispered.

Hermione mentally sped through that horrible night as quickly as possible. She entered the room, torture, oral with Remus, humiliation by Lucius, sitting on his lap, eating something he forced her to, looking at Avery, attempting Legilimens on him, Lucius leading her to the back—wait!—She had done _what_ to Avery?!

Her blood froze and she slowly turned to face Griselda, her face going pale.

"What? What did you do?" she asked starting to panic slightly.

"I- for some reason- attempted Legilimens on Avery."

Griselda took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "What was happening at the time?"

"I had just been drugged and it was kicking in. Lucius asked me if I knew what Avery was thinking—not even expecting an answer, just asking to scare me—but I looked over and we locked gazes and I tried it for some reason. I think he felt it too," she swallowed, a large lump sticking in her throat.

"Of course he felt it," Griselda reasoned calmly, thinking for a moment. Hermione stayed quiet lost in her own thoughts. "So… you can now do magic Hermione. Only we know this for sure and only one other person suspects. How skilled are you at Legilimens?" she questioned suddenly.

"Well, before I was quite good, but if as you say this spell enhances your abilities then-," she was cut off by the blonde.

"It hasn't enhanced _your_ abilities however. Since you are wearing those gauntlets it has merely restored your magic to you, not heightened it."

Hermione chewed her lip still grateful for having even her normal amount of magic back. One thing still needed to be cleared up. Well, actually two things. "Why did you do this for me? It was a lot more than I asked for."

Griselda coldly glared at her.

Okay, Hermione thought. Next question. "Okay, then when are you going to tell on me?"

Griselda pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered something about patience with schoolchildren. "If I tell my master what you can do, he will naturally want to know how you came to have these abilities. Then I will be killed. I'm not telling anyone," she muttered, checking the time.

"He should be here any moment. Whatever you do from now on make sure that you indeed know what you are doing. Now go to Draco, he should be here by now."

As if in a daze she walked out of the room and saw Draco standing there. She slowly walked over to him looking at the floor. It was silent in the chamber as the girls watched her leave. He said nothing merely motioned for her to go in front of him and they walked out together, him with his wand pointed at her back and her trying desperately to focus on anything other than the pain.

They walked slowly in tense silence until Draco motioned her suddenly to stop. He looked around and muttered something to a large portrait on the wall. It swung open and he motioned her through.

The hall was dark and Draco had to use his wand for light. "Where are we going…master?" she asked mumbling over the last word.

"This is a shortcut to my room," he said simply not sparing a glance for her.

Why on earth were they taking a shortcut? Not that she wasn't grateful. She tried to walk as quickly as possible, but the pain between her legs was throbbing even harder. A thin sheen of sweat covered her brow and upper lip. _Please, don't faint_, she begged herself. She couldn't take showing weakness in front of Draco, not after what his father did to her.

Her stomach was rolling and she started counting the number of paces they had walked.

"Try not to throw up, Mudblood," a voice drawled from behind her.

She would have retorted but she was afraid if she spoke she would vomit. She merely kept counting until Draco pushed past her. They had arrived at his room. There was another portrait hanging in front of them—a woman that looked like a prettier version of Draco, but still had the trademark smirk.

"Hello, there Draco," she greeted clasping her hands pleasantly in front of her. "And who is this?" she asked looking over at Hermione and frowning. "I hardly think your attire is appropriate dear," she murmured.

Hermione snorted. "I wholeheartedly agree, ma'am, but Draco here likes it, don't you master?" she asked mockingly sweet to Draco's scowling face.

He looked at her with disdain and rolled his eyes. "Alright, the password is 'fiendfyre'," he told the woman, tapping his foot impatiently.

She merely raised an eyebrow and looked offended. "Nephew I haven't seen you in months and this is how you greet me? And how is my dear brother?" she asked sweetly.

Ah, Lucius' sister, she thought, and gave a very unladylike snort. 'Dear' indeed! Draco moaned and looked over at her annoyed. His aunt swung her instantly icy silver eyes over to Hermione.

"Is something the matter, girl?"

Hermione straightened her posture uneasily. She really didn't want to get into it with a dead person. Another wave of dizziness washed over her and she really wanted that portrait to open. She braced herself with one arm against the wall and forced herself to smile weakly. "I was merely agreeing with you, miss. One should take the proper time to greet one's relations however-er, deceased they may be," she told her closing her eyes briefly to clear away the spots that were starting to form in front of her.

Draco's aunt smiled satisfactorily at her. "What a fine young lady you have here, nephew. With a few… improvements," she added letting her eyes roam over the girl's scanty attire.

Normally Hermione would have never been able to let a comment like that go without a sharp retort, but her forehead was leaning against the cool stone walls of the narrow hall and she couldn't care less about the woman's assumptions.

Draco noticed this and figured she must be about to die if she was keeping her mouth shut. Impatiently, he turned back to the woman. "We are not together Aunt; I'm merely using her for sex. Can you open the door now?" he barked gloating at the shocked expression on her face.

The wall opened and he took Hermione by the arm and led her through. She stood in the middle only swaying slightly and waited as the wall closed again. Maybe he would go easy her tonight. Maybe if she screamed he would stop. Maybe.

"Alright, Mudblood. You can lie on the bed for now," he motioned, waving a hand over to the large king size. He turned to walk away from her but she stopped him.

"Don't you have to take my clothes off first," she asked a little faintly. She needed to get off her feet badly but she didn't want anymore pain either. Sex equals pain.

He looked at her in genuine surprise and squinted his eyes at her slightly. "Merlin Granger," he muttered, "I didn't bring you here for _that_." He breathed out and walked to his desk and sat down.

To say that she was confused was understatement. "I don't understand. What am I doing here then…master?" It was so damn hard to remember to call him that. She swayed slightly but still looked at him.

He scowled again and heaved an impatient sigh, but didn't turn his head. "My father left a few days ago to go and visit my mother. He came back this afternoon," he said this as if that should explain to her why he had brought her here.

Slowly, she started to understand. She moved silently toward the bed, feeling a surge of gratefulness toward Draco for giving her a night's reprieve form his father. Why would he do that? She didn't really care at the moment—she just needed to get off her feet now. She turned around and lowered herself gingerly onto the bed.

She suppressed a gasp of pain and quickly adjusted her hips to scoot into a more comfortable position. She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe Draco had brought her to his room just to let her sleep. She wondered if he would do this for her tomorrow night. Barely were her eyes closed before she fell asleep.

When she awoke with a start, she realized only twenty minutes had passed and she just took the time to lay there in the comfortable silence. Draco was still at his desk, but he appeared to have given up studying and just stared at his desk. She wasn't sure if he knew she was awake yet. She closed her eyes for another second to gather her thoughts.

"So," she rasped noting that he didn't jump at her voice, "have you gotten your Head Boy letter yet? Oh wait, those come at the end of the summer--never mind," she said absently.

He frowned and looked over at her. "What makes you think I'll get the position?"

"Aren't you the top male student at Hogwarts?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah, but how did you know that?"

She gave a slight laugh. "Don't you know? I know everything."

He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"And besides being almost as good as me,"-he snorted again- "I think we both know who will be in charge of the school come September. I would think that you would be the obvious choice."

He scowled again at the desk.

"Cheer up. The Head Boy and Girl have to share dorms. Maybe you'll get to live with some glorious concoction of both brains and beauty," she laughed, and moaned at the same time. She closed her eyes and turned onto her side to relieve the pressure on her abdomen. God, she hoped it quit hurting soon.

"I thought Snape fixed you up a few days ago," he asked, irritated.

She looked at his face. "He did, but there are only so much potions and magic can do," she said tiredly. Images flashed through her mind of Lucius tying her naked to one of the posts of his bed and whipping her. He had whipped her until she passed out and then healed her so that he could continue. He healed her so fast that there were no outward scars.

Due to the spell that had been cast on her, she never cried the entire time. Not once. At least a shred of her pride was left, she thought.

Draco stared at her for a moment. "Snape wouldn't tell me what _he_ did," he mumbled finally. "He only insinuated that it would be extremely unwise to…do anything to you. I figured it was pretty bad."

She snickered softly. "And you want me to tell you?"

He glared at her. "What's wrong with you? You're acting different today, like whatever happened doesn't bother you," he spat vehemently.

She propped herself up slowly on one elbow. "What good does it do to wallow in self-pity? Of course it bothers me. I'll even tell if you want, but I don't think you will want to know." The spell was working its magic again. She hardly even needed it right now, so only the smallest of tingles coursed though her.

He turned around to face his desk. She thought he had heeded her warning for a moment but then she heard a low voice.

"Just tell me what he did that still hurts now. That's it. Was it from—I mean, when he…" he stumbled over whatever he was trying to say, but she knew what he was trying to say.

"No, he only did _that_ five or six times," she said sarcastically and got a perverse satisfaction at seeing his face redden slightly from the side. She sighed and continued. "Alright I'll tell you. Once dawn broke, he decided to put—something—into me," she said slowly, starting to blush with embarrassment.

He swung around. "What?" He looked shocked. Maybe his father had gone insane from that year in Ahzkaban. "What?" he repeated.

She looked away toward the window. "I little silver ball that is covered in thin razor blades. He did it so that every step I took on the way back up would cut me no matter how I moved. Even when I was just laying there I couldn't close my legs too far or it would cut me."

She had never seen Draco so pale. "And when Snape found me walking to the door he said I was minutes from dying from blood loss, so," she covered her eyes with a hand, "he had to use a summoning charm to get it out quickly. That's why it still hurts," she finished, bitterly.

He only looked at her blankly and turned around to face his desk again. They didn't speak for the rest of the night. She wasn't even sure if he went to bed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Every night for the next week it was like this. Draco would come fetch her and take her through the secret passage to his room and let her sleep in his bed. They didn't speak again to each other after the first night, but in their sleep they always managed to end up in each other's arms. By the end of the week and a few potions later she was feeling much better. Her color had returned and she hardly felt any pain when she walked or sat down anymore.

It was as if this time was given to her by the Fates themselves. She spent nearly every waking moment formulating an escape plan. Now that she had discovered she could do magic, she had cleverly managed to think up a plan that not only would free herself, but also her seven comrades, even with their gauntlets on.

She bit her lip when she thought of the others she would not be able to save, but remembered that she was only one person—she could only do so much at a time.

The only downside to her plan was that she would have to get in touch with the Order before they left. They would have to house and protect seven other girls besides her and if for some reason any Deatheaters followed them as they left, the Order would have to be ready to fight. She had to bide her time until she could figure out where certain loyalties truly lied. And she didn't want anyone to mess that up for her, so that was why she was about to have a talk with Draco.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Listen Draco,"-he allowed her to use his name when they were in private- "how long are you going to keep doing this?"

He said nothing only raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to assume anything about why exactly you are doing this for me," she started slowly, "but isn't your father starting to get angry? About me being here every night?"

He tensed at the mention of his father. They hadn't discussed anything further than what was told to him the first night. "You sound as if you are impatient to get back to him." He didn't say it maliciously- he only wanted clarification as to why she was asking him these questions.

She flushed at his words, but tried not to let it bother her. "I'm hardly impatient to get back to that sadistic bastard, Draco," she said icily boring her gaze into him. "I'm just slightly worried that he will suspect something and swoop down personally to make sure you're not 'going soft'. I know that you guys get beaten and tortured around here if you're not acting insane enough."

He raised another eyebrow at the word 'insane'. That was a little extreme he thought. "So you're worried about me?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Obviously not _just_ about you. I'm sure by now you more than anyone realize what your father is capable of. There is any number of scenarios that I know for a fact that he would repeat and it would give him great pleasure to have you in the room to witness them. For God's sake, that first morning he told me that he would put us both under the Imperius curse and personally oversee _it_."

She could tell he was thinking about what she said. "I can only assume that he knows you better than maybe you think he does. He is probably getting suspicious that you are acting out of character." She shrugged and stood up from the bed and stretched. "Or maybe I am just paranoid and he suspects nothing. All I know is that he blames Harry, and by connection me, for his stint in prison and for all of his problems since then. And he will be murderous if he thinks that I've somehow used my feminine wiles and converted you or something," she added darkly, quite serious.

He slowly put his pen down on the desk and leaned back. Granger hardly had any wiles. For being so beautiful she sure didn't know how to use it. "Why haven't you asked me to help you escape yet?" She looked over at him sharply to see if he was joking, but he wasn't.

"Well, I assumed that would be taking advantage of your…for lack of better word, kindness,"-he screwed his face up in distaste—"towards me. Also, even if I somehow managed to convince you to help me, we would have to coordinate with the Order to have your par—mother taken somewhere safe and protected." She had almost said 'parents' but quickly realized that she could never offer Lucius any sort of protection after what he did to her.

"And, also, I know you would be conflicted about leaving your father behind. He would be tortured at first probably, but then either forced to hunt you down and kill you, or go on the run himself. I don't think you're to that point yet," she added.

He scowled at her. "You think you know me, do you?"

Her eyes softened for just a moment when she looked at him. She had almost become fond of him during their time together. "Am I wrong?"

He sighed and shook his head, but then perked up a little. "Why wouldn't I just plan it so that I took you somewhere and then came back here, perfectly above suspicion?"

She laughed at him. "Because, everybody knows that I've been in your room for a week. They would assume things and of course there are magical ways to find the truth such as Veritaserum and Legilimens." She snickered. "Draco, do you _want _me to beg you to me help me or something?"

"No, I just wondered why you haven't yet."

"Because I honestly did not think it would get me anywhere. But I do have one question for you if you don't mind." She looked at him expectantly and he suspiciously nodded.

"Do you know if Remus and Sirius have taken the dark mark yet?"

He looked at her warily. "Why do you want to know?"

She shrugged lightly but looked him straight in the eye. She lied. "Well, as much as I am happily planning their demise every night, they were once two of my most trusted friends, as well as important members of the Order. I was just curious as to how far down they have actually gone."

He sniffed disdainfully. "Well, the werewolf hasn't because the Dark Lord doesn't accept his kind for his greatest honor and everybody knows he's only here because his wife's life is in jeopardy. And Black hasn't because the Dark Lord is still testing him. He doesn't trust him fully even though he helped…" he looked uncomfortably at her, "well, you know," he mumbled. "I even heard that he refused to take it. Rumor has it that he is only here because he wouldn't let the dog come by himself," he snorted, "He told the Dark Lord that he would do something to show he was serious about switching sides, but that he wasn't going to go all the way yet. The Dark Lord is content to use him for right now because he is from an old pureblood family and a very skilled wizard, as well as Potter's godfather."

Hermione nodded letting this information seep into her mind. She was very relieved that they hadn't been branded yet, yet even more alarmed that Ron and Harry were both in so much danger because of Sirius. She began thinking of ways she could use this information to make her plan go more smoothly. She sat back and crossed a smooth, bare leg absently, thinking about Draco's words some more.

Draco watched her, a part of him knowing she was planning something. He thought about it carefully and decided to ignore it for now. He might need her help in the future.

His eyes traveled up the creamy expanse of her thigh marveling at how beautiful it was. He felt his stomach tighten as he remembered their night together. It was still one of the best sexual experiences of his life. He couldn't believe it had been with Granger. They had sated themselves over and over at least four times that night. Now, looking at what his father had done to her, he was glad he hadn't forced her to sleep with him, though technically when you looked at it, it was still rape since she was a prisoner.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts of her. There was no way he was going to try anything on her after his father had. He shuddered to think of how much pain she had been in. The silver razor ball—uugh! It gave him nightmares every night from just hearing about it. What a pussy he was, he snorted.

Nothing was how his father had told him it would be when the Dark Lord rose again. His family was falling apart and his father was going insane. His mother was having a nervous breakdown because of the turn their lives had taken. Her son was always in danger. Always a step away from being thrown to the wolves and her husband was a murdering, raping, sadistic bastard. He closed his eyes and reluctantly played Hermione's words over in his head again.

Could he do that? Abandon everything he had been taught since birth to fear and respect. Leave his father and go into hiding with his mother. As much as it pained him to admit it, he loved his father still. He knew Granger would try everything in her power to kill him the first chance she got, so it was useless to even ask her for his protection too.

But his mother, that was another matter. He knew the Order would protect her being the sort that they were. Could he just sit there and let people watch over him knowing that they hated him? Knowing that it was because of him that all this had happened. And could he pick a side knowing that they might lose?

No. It was best to just stay here. At least here he knew what to expect. He exhaled quickly and opened his eyes. He looked over and noticed that it was late. He stood up and started pulling off his clothes. Contrary to his usual habits, he tossed his shirt and pants on the floor and threw back the covers back on his side of the bed.

Hermione noticed the change that came over him but didn't say anything about it. She knew he was having an internal struggle and thought it wise to leave him alone. He still had to remove her clothes though so she dutifully walked over to him and turned around.

She didn't feel any movement for a minute, but just as she was about to turn around she felt his warm fingers brushing against her neck and back. She clutched her top as it loosened and slowly placed it on a chair beside Draco's side of the bed. Her bottoms loosened also and she slid out of them and placed them with the top on the chair.

She had gotten used to being naked in front of Draco. It was extremely uncomfortable to sleep in metal clothing. Also, if anyone came in suddenly it would look like he had been abusing her. It seemed that she had been here for a month when really it was half that. Hogwarts seemed like a lifetime away and she still couldn't believe that everything had happened this way.

She walked over to the other side and slid under the covers. Draco was already in next to her staring up at the ceiling. His face was truly beautiful in the moonlight, she realized, quite uncomfortably with a pang in her stomach. His chest was lithe and smooth, like pale marble without any blemishes or marks. She let her eyes travel down to where the sheets were slung dangerously low around his hips. Best to look away.

She frowned and grew irritated. Why would she be looking at him this way? This was some weakness on her part, she decided and waited for the familiar tingle to come to her rescue. Nothing happened. No tingle. What was wrong with the stupid spell? she wondered, highly irritated, throwing herself back into the pillows.

Draco glanced over with raised eyebrows. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her completely exposed form the waist up with only her hair to cover her breasts. Oh Merlin, he mentally groaned, looking away immediately. He had managed to keep himself calm the whole week, but tonight was so hard for him for some reason. He was suffering acutely with little jolts of lust shooting straight to his stomach.

His eyes came to rest on her face and they followed the curve of her nose all the way down to her lips, and instantly he felt himself grow hard. Maybe I could just kiss her. Would she want him to? Of course she wouldn't. She was just brutally raped by his father and had almost died from it. Images flashed through his head of what she had gone through at the hands of his own blood.

_Father, what has happened to you?_ he cried inwardly, closing his eyes. Unbidden and before he could stop it, a tear slipped down his pale cheek. What the hell? He didn't cry. Well, okay, there was that one time at Hogwarts when Potter caught him in the bathroom. That was singly the most humiliating moment of his life and he lashed out the only way he knew how. An Unforgivable curse. But, why would he cry now? His family's lives were safe for the moment.

For the moment. Under Voldemort they would always be struggling to please him and stay alive. Another one coursed down his cheek and he cursed it. He hoped to the god's above that Granger was asleep already. He couldn't take it if she saw him right now.

He was trying really hard to keep his emotions in check and failing miserable, when he felt something warm on touching his lips. His silver eyes flew open and collided with dark brown ones. _Granger_ was _kissing_ him. He tensed as he realized that she'd seen him blubbering like a baby and for a split second he didn't know what to do.

Then she was moving her mouth over his and placing a warm hand on his chest and he closed his eyes and opened his mouth to let her in. She was so warm and soft and she moved her hand up his chest and over his throat to cup his tearstained cheek. She only lingered there for a moment before sliding her hand to finally rest in his hair. He lifted up to meet her mouth and the kiss intensified until he broke away breathing hard.

"You can't," he gasped only able to withdraw from her a mere couple centimeters, "I won't be able to stop." His glazed eyes caused her chest to tighten very painfully.

"I know," she whispered closing her eyes, "but I'm scared of what will happen if someone else does it first. I don't know how much it will still hurt," she confessed aching to caress his lips again. He was the only ray of light she had in this it seemed, as completely screwed up as that was. He was the only one who showed her an ounce of kindness.

He stared into her eyes for a long moment before quickly covering her mouth with his again. He raised a hand to her cheek and pushed her down on her back covering her with his lean warm body.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that, just kissing and exploring the other's mouth, before finally giving into their every desire. She desperately wished the spell would come to her rescue for her heart was aching horribly and she knew that her stupid female brain was equating sex with love right now. She wanted him so badly her body actually hurt.

And she hated herself for it.


	7. A New Piece of the Puzzle

Sirius wrapped the long dark cloak over his shoulders and stood. He looked over at his best friend of thirty or so years and sighed.

"Wish me well, friend."

Remus looked over at the darker man with amber eyes. His drink swirled around in his tumbler as he raised it to his lips.

"Remus, if everything goes well, we will have Hermione and finally be able to tell her the truth. Everything will be fine," Sirius insisted taking a step toward the door. His heart started beating slightly faster and for a moment he had to stop to school his expression into his usual cold mask of indifference.

A low raspy voice jolted him out of his thoughts. "Do you really think anything we do or say will ever make up for what we have done?" Remus asked his friend bitterly, staring at the low fire burning in the hearth.

"If it hadn't been us it would have been someone else, Remus, you know this. That is why we agreed to do it. To ingratiate ourselves closer to the Dark Lord. What happened to Hermione is not our fault so stop blaming yourself," Sirius snarled not liking the waves of guilt that plagued him every time he thought of her.

"She loved me, Sirius. Possibly not romantically, but I know she loved me. And I've let her sit here and be tortured day after day for a month while that pig defiles her. Maybe I wasn't the one who stunned and captured her but it is my fault all the same. If only I could…" he drifted off losing himself in a drunken haze.

Sirius looked on in pity as his friend mentally flogged himself. He felt the all too familiar bubble of grief well up inside him and he wondered when he and Remus would be done paying for whatever sins they had committed that angered the gods so. Almost their entire lives had been tragically spent, and he glanced up at the ceiling and wished it was only him who had to suffer—not his kind and gentle friend.

There was nothing left to be said and Sirius left the room, padding lightly down the hall. He was going to a part of the manor that he never went to if he could help it. But if he played his cards right, Voldemort might give him what he wanted. He shuddered as he thought of the Dark Lord's reaction to requesting a private audience with him.

"Sirius Black," he had hissed, red eyes gleaming in the darkness, "I am most surprised. Many of my most devout followers have never requested a private audience with me. It seems they are averse to torture." he laughed cruelly while watching for the other mans reaction. He was pleased to note that Black showed no trembling or shaking at the thought of being tortured by him personally.

Sirius had responded in a steady low voice. "Milord, whether you torture me or not the information I wish to share with you may indeed be quite useful."

Voldemort regarded him thoughtfully. "And if it is not?"

"If it is not, I am quite sure that I will pay for it, milord," Sirius said drily and listened on as Volemort laughed again.

"That you will, Sirius. Be in my private chambers tonight at midnight. And Sirius," he had said, "don't be late."

And he bloody well wasn't going to be late, he thought as he checked the time. 11:45. He would be early, though not too early. Voldemort would punish him as well if he were early. Bastard.

He made it to the door and knocked.

"Enter."

Sirius walked over and kneeled down before the man who had caused him so much pain for twenty years.

"Well?"

Sirius didn't even sweat. He was prepared for the worst anyway. "Milord, I wish to speak to you about the mudblood slave, Hermione Granger."

If Voldemort was surprised he didn't show it. "What about her?"

"I ask you to release her from Malfoy's servitude and put her into mine instead."

This time Voldemort gave a mad hissing laugh. "You disappoint me, Black. Do you think that you are the first to beg me for the mudblood slave? Dolohov and Goyle pester me about her constantly. I finally had to give them both a couple days in the dungeons to quiet them."

Sirius nodded. "I know of the others requests, milord. The others are hotheaded and driven by lust. They act like fourth years who haven't been with a woman yet."

"You mean to say that you do not desire the slave, Black?" Voldemort sneered.

"Of course I desire her milord. I am a man after all and she is beautiful, though quite irritatingly arrogant. But arrogance is never in short supply here so I am used to it. To the point milord, Lucius Malfoy has become weak since hi return from Ahzkaban. He pines for his wife daily and it is distracting him. I hear he even makes the slave take polyjuice potion every night to take the form of Narcissa. Not to mention he has almost killed her numerous times."

Voldemort had not heard about this and it irritated him. Oh, he knew about the silver ball incident and how she had been moments from death had it not been for Severus, but he honestly hadn't cared too much. She was alive now. He stared at the black haired man kneeling down in front of him.

"So you wish to save her from the clutches of Lucius? Even if I were to take her from him, what makes you think I would give her to you? There are others far more trustworthy and willing who have earned the right."

"Because milord, after you see what I have come here to show you, I believe you might find it in the best interests of winning the war to entrust her into my care."

Voldemort was almost astounded by the man's audacity. Almost. A small part of him liked the way Black spoke to him. With intelligence and clear-headedness. His curiosity was now peaked. "What is it you have to show me? I wasn't aware that your meetings with the Order had produced much fruitfulness—something I was about to correct in a very painful way."

Sirius made no reply, only stood. He wasn't punished for this however. He withdrew his wand and pointed it at his head. With the other hand he drew out a small clear vial and stopper and held them still. He closed his eyes and after a moment drew out a long silver wispy memory and placed it in the vial. He corked it and handed it to Voldemort who raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He hadn't expected this; not even Severus gave him actual memories. No one wanted the Dark Lord that close—maybe Bellatrix, but that was it. Voldemort took the vial and slowly regarded it. He stood from his chair and walked over to a small black box. Inside was a pensieve. He dumped the contents of the vial into the pensieve and slowly let himself fall into the memory.

Sirius waited patiently for a few minutes. He didn't really know which way the meeting was going to go after this. After five minutes had passed, Voldemort reappeared and looked at him with a mixture of glee and shock.

"Isn't that man the new leader of the Order?"

"Yes milord."

"What would he have to gain by betraying Miss Granger?"

"I have thought about this very thing for a month now, milord. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Then I thought maybe the stunner was meant for the Deatheater. There is however no doubt in my mind now that he indeed stunned the mudblood on purpose. I have watched him as closely as possible without alerting suspicion, but wanted to wait for your orders on whether or not to tail him from now on."

Voldemort's attention was now riveted on the form in front of him. "Why did you not bring this information to my attention weeks ago? A loyal servant would have," he said softly, dangerously.

Sirius held himself stiffly. "I believe I have proven my loyalty to you, milord. Those children are here because of me after all—and Remus. Their families cow to you now and the wizarding world quivers in fear at the thought of what you are doing to their precious offspring. The Order members are in agony at the knowledge that one of their own turned against them, though by now they know he was coerced."

He took another deep breath not sure if this was the time he was going to be cursed or not. "As for my timing, milord--," he paused and this time looked the Dark Lord in the eye, "I might have been in Gryffindor, but my entire family was in Slytherin. Besides wishing to wait until I was sure of the man's loyalties…I also know the value of information."

There. Let him make of that what he would. He kept his head bowed and waited silently for what seemed like ages. Finally Voldemort spoke.

"I will think on your request, Sirius. Tell no one of what we have spoken about. Carry on as before," he commanded flicking his hand in dismissal.

Sirius rose and left the room, smiling at what he knew had been a very productive meeting with the Dark Lord.

XXXXXXXXXX

Draco sat at his desk shaking with disgust. How had his father become so selfish and sick? The man he had grown up with had been strict and disciplined, but underneath it all, Draco knew he was completely and unconditionally loved by both of his parents. They had doted on him and spoiled him with their attentions and gifts.

What he had just saw had lowered his opinion of his father more so than anything he had ever done. He grew sick just from thinking about it. He leaned forward and closed his eyes, willing the memories to go away but they wouldn't.

He remembered how he had been thinking earlier about his mother and much he missed her. He wished to ask permission to go and visit her for a time, only coming back if he was summoned by the Dark Lord.

He had been unable to sleep, thinking about Granger and how he missed holding her at night. The last night they had been together was two weeks ago when he had made a fool of himself by crying in front of her. Their time together that night had been much different from anything he ever known before. It had changed something in him as he realized that a part of him had feelings for her.

Feelings he did not wish to have. Feelings that could get him killed.

He had left his room to go to his father and talk to him. He was hoping that Granger wouldn't be in there because he didn't know if he would do something stupid in front of his father or not. He had listened at the door for any sounds that would imply he was unwelcome but heard nothing. He entered slowly, walking cautiously inside and looking around.

It was dark in the sitting room. Only a few candles were lit. Something caught his attention. A light glowing from under his father's door. He's awake, Draco realized with relief and silently walked over to knock.

Before he could raise his hand however he heard sounds coming from inside. Groans and heavy breathing. He went cold inside and knew that Granger was in the room having sex with his father. He started trembling a little and couldn't move.

But then he heard something that made his heart leap.

"Narcissa," the muffled voice of Lucius moaned. "Oh, Cissa, I love you. I've missed you so."

His mother was here? With absolutely no regard or thought as to what he might find in there (his mother and father having sex namely), Draco opened the door and walked in.

Sure enough there was his beautiful mother right in front of him, kissing his father and moaning on top of him. He would have been embarrassed but since he couldn't see anything that might scar him for life, he raised his voice. He was so happy to see his mother he thought he blubber like a baby again.

"Mother?" he asked softly hoping to let them know he was present so that they could cover up decently.

They couple in bed froze and looked at him. Narcissa's long blond hair had fallen in a curtain shielding her body from Draco's view mercifully. Nobody spoke as Draco looked confused at both of them.

Why isn't she glad to see me? he wondered disappointed. Realization dawned on him as he realized he had just walked in on his parents making love. He turned bright red and stuttered.

"Sorry, I-I…just wanted to see you and- and…Sorry!" he exclaimed quickly half-turning to bolt out of the room when he noticed something that made his blood run cold. The sheets had fallen down slightly around his mother's form and her arms were clearly visible in the candlelight.

He took a step forward and stared at the silver gauntlets around his mother's arms. His mother wasn't a slave. That woman wasn't his mother. It was Granger on top of his father. As realization once again dawned on him as to what was going on, he could do nothing but stare numbly at the silver bracelets. Polyjuice potion, he thought. His father was giving that mudblood polyjuice potion to change into his mother. He angrily reverted back to his old name for her.

How sick could he get? He raised an angry accusing gaze to both of them. His father looked embarrassed and angry, while Granger looked at him with his mother's eyes and pleaded.

"Draco," she croaked with emotion, not daring to move for fear of Lucius. She also didn't want someone she cared about to see their mother's body like this.

Draco only looked at her coldly and flicked his gaze to his father. "How could you? When did you become this sick?"

Lucius coolly regarded his son's angry stance. "Draco, it is not for you to question what I do with my slave." He slowly moved up to lean against his pillows. His long white blond hair fell gracefully across his pale chest. He slithered a hand up Hermione's thigh to rest on her hip. Thank the gods it was under the sheet. She looked away as he clamped a hand around her hip holding him hard inside her still.

She was utterly humiliated and turned her head so that Draco could not see her face. _Think of something else_, she told herself. The tingling feeling coursed through her and she felt herself grow numb to feeling.

Draco saw the challenging look in his father's eyes and saw his hand that was holding the girl in place. "I cannot believe you would disrespect your wife like this."

Lucius' eyes flashed in anger. "We will discuss this later in private. Remember your place or I will help you remember it. Now if you would kindly leave. I'm busy," he smirked, tracing a finger up and down Hermione's arm.

Draco fled to his room feeling as if he were about to be sick. How could he do that? How could she like it? He had heard her moaning before he had opened the door. Did she _like_ what his father did to her? Maybe she _had_ been eager to get back to him, he thought bitterly, thinking back to their last conversation. He knew she was a slave and had no choice in anything, but still…why would she act as if she liked it?

He lifted his face from his hands and told himself to stop thinking about it. His anger still burned within him and he wondered what was keeping him here now. His love for his father was diminishing rapidly with every act of depravity he committed. He wanted nothing more than to run to his mother and escape somewhere, but that defeating voice inside him told him that they would be caught and killed.

At least for now they were all safe.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sirius stayed in the shadows as he watched the Malfoy boy run out of his father's room. What in the name of Merlin had happened? The boy in his haste to leave had not closed the door all the way and now curiosity overtook the man and crept out of the shadows to move closer.

He looked around him to make sure there were no watchful eyes and then peeked inside the door to the sitting room. It was dark and empty. He slipped into the room and crept over to the bedroom door that was practically wide open. Slithering along the wall he made his way to the corner and peered in cautiously.

The couple couldn't see him and he watched out of curiosity to see what would happen. He knew that the woman riding on top of Lucius wasn't Narcissa, but Hermione. Still he had to admit his cousin was beautiful. He admired the female form and though he held no lustful inclinations toward the woman he could appreciate her for what she was—soft and gorgeous.

Lucius' hands roamed over her body and up toward her breasts and back down again. He was in pure ecstasy clearly conveyed by the look on his face every time he saw the woman pretending to be his wife.

Sirius also took a close look at Hermione, for although she was dutifully moaning and saying Lucius' name followed by sweet endearments, he saw in her eyes that she was sad and angry. Just then, he slowly noticed that the potion was beginning to wear off. Blonde hair shrank upwards slightly and turned into wavy chocolate brown hair. Narcissa's facial features melted into Hermione's and her slender form adjusted and changed to a shorter slightly fuller one.

To his surprise, he saw that when Lucius looked at her next, his eyes didn't change when he saw that it was Hermione not his Narcissa in front of him. The same intense, obsessed, love-sick look remained in place as he rode his orgasm out and spilled his seed within her. Sirius wondered if Hermione was faking her own orgasm. He was sure that it was part of whatever game Lucius was playing.

Maybe that was why no one else had gotten a turn out of her, he thought, growing hard as Hermione stood up. He had never seen a more glorious pair of breasts in his life. He had the uncomfortable urge to run his hands over both of them while plunging into her and making her scream _his_ name, not Lucius'. Merlin's beard, she was the same age as Harry, not to mention his best friend.

He was in doubt as to whether or not Harry would ever look at him again after all he done, but knew with deadly certainty that whatever hopes he harbored would be instantly dashed should he ever bed the charming and beautiful Miss Granger.

"What are you doing?" the cool voice of Lucius Malfoy drawled raising one arm to put behind his head.

"Master, I am leaving as I do every night," she answered him confused but coldly.

"I think not. Tonight you will remain here in my bed."

He saw her angry eyes look scornfully at him. So, she hadn't entirely quit fighting, Sirius noticed. Good. He never wanted to see her broken.

She stiffly walked back to the bed and laid down as close to the edge as possible.

"Mudblood, I believe your place is here over by me."

She looked at him incredulously. "What?" He had never acted like this before and it was making her wary.

Sirius saw her swing around to gape at Lucius while Lucius merely smirked.

"Until I say otherwise your place every night is here beside me."

"I am beside you."

"Closer," he purred indicating the space immediately next to him. She glared at him and scooted over turning so that she didn't have to look at his face.

"No, no, Mudblood, like this." And he promptly turned her body and put it exactly where he wanted it. She was half way on top of him with an arm around his waist and her face on his chest. A leg was swung over one of his thighs and dark brown hair teased Lucius' face.

Everything in her was recoiling but there was nothing she could do for Lucius' would have his way in this matter in the end.

Sirius watched as Lucius gently stroked Hermione's hair and crooned to her softly. The slightly crazed glint in his eye warned Sirius that Lucius was starting to lose his grasp on sanity and his slave was becoming the object of his obsessive behavior.

Well, there was nothing he could do about it but wait for the Dark Lord to grant his request for ownership of Hermione. If there was a way, then he could possibly help her escape back to the Order.

Sirius silently backed away and made his way out of the room and back into the hall. He closed the door softly behind him so that no one would notice anything amiss and promptly ran into the black-clad form of his cousin Bellatrix.

"Well, well Sirius, fancy running into you here," she said coyly looking up into his handsome features. She let her eyes rest on his seductively full lips for a moment before raising them to his eyes.

"Lestrange," he greeted coldly moving to go past her. She blocked him with her body and one hand on his chest.

"Why such a cold greeting, cousin?"

He gritted his teeth and willed himself to remain calm. "Maybe because you killed me last year."

"You came back to life," she reasoned.

He rolled his eyes at her and made to move again.

"Where are you going, Sirius?" She slowly started moving her finger down his chest. "Were you in there playing with Lucius and his mudblood whore?" The finger dipped lower over his stomach.

He merely pressed his lips together and looked coldly down into her face. He let her play her game without showing any emotion. She could pounce on a weakness faster than a lioness and use and twist it to her advantage. The thought of so close a relation as his first cousin attempting to seduce him, sickened him. Especially _her_. He would make good his vow to kill her but he wouldn't do _that_ to achieve his goal.

Her small hand traveled lower and lower until finally she palmed his hardened length through his robes. "It doesn't seem as though you were very satisfied. Or maybe this is for me?" she questioned slowly rubbing his erection, trying to get a response out of him.

The day his actions were ruled by his cock was the day he was no longer Sirius Black. He leaned in closer to her and watched as her eyes widened in surprise and desire. He grabbed a hold of her jaw roughly and brought there faces closer together. She wanted his mouth on hers so badly and unconsciously tightened her grasp over his shaft.

Sirius leaned down and whispered, "Never." He smirked at her furious face and grabbed her hand and threw it away from in disgust. He strode past her angry form and walked back to his bedroom, breathing a sigh of relief as he waved sealing charms around the room to make sure no one could get in.

Remus was asleep on the comfortable sofa like he was every night. He couldn't bear to sleep in a bed without Dora so he let Sirius have it. He regarded his friend for a moment noting the exhaustion lining his face and could only hope that this would all be over soon. Or that they could just die—in his case again. He thought of the irony of the situation, given that it had been Hermione who had figured what the Veil did and the spell that could release him.

He poured a drink for himself and sat in the darkness brooding until the wee hours of the morning.


	8. Surprises

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Maybe Griselda.**

**A/N-Not much happens in this chapter. I just wanted to move the pace along but not jump to far ahead in time. Next chapter should be more exciting. Hope you enjoy. ******

The people sitting around the large wooden table in the kitchen of the Burrow stared grimly at one another. Hope seemed to be floating away from each of them as the days passed and more of their number dwindled. The Order seemed to be slowly falling to its knees.

The first blow of course had been Dumbledore's death at the hands of a former Order member, Severus Snape. After that Grimmauld Place was no longer a wise choice for headquarters. They met at the Burrow now, though not as often as before. The Ministry would crumble any day now and then the real war would begin.

Tonks was gone—went into hiding in America with her unborn child. Her husband Remus had gone over to Voldemort, though most knew that he felt he had no choice. They could only pray that he was still secretly doing what he could to help them. Along with Remus, they had lost Sirius Black as well though thankfully he was only undercover as a spy. He still came around to every meeting and reported to them what was happening, but everyone noticed how tightly wound he was and feared that one day he would break.

Thankfully the Weasely family was still intact. Bill had a close call with Fenrir Greyback but other than a scarred face he was fine.

Harry was still with his aunt and uncle until next week when they would have to move him to the Burrow safely. Nobody was looking forward to seeing him, simply because nobody wanted to be the one to tell him Hermione Granger was still a captive at Voldemort's headquarters.

After Hogwarts had been invaded two months ago, it had been immediately apparent that Hermione was nowhere to be found. It was not until Sirius came a couple days later and informed them of her situation that they even knew what had become of her. With downcast eyes, he told them about the twenty-three children that had been taken captive and enslaved. He told them about the fifth floor 'harem' that Voldemort had installed and everyone become slightly sick. They could tell that he was leaving out some of the gorier details.

The twins had went pale and left the room. The older Weasely boys had clenched their jaws and fists but said nothing. Molly wept and Arthur comforted. Mad-Eye Moody thumped around on his wooden leg and inwardly started going over every possible rescue plan he could think of. Elphias Doge and Hestia Jones talked quietly to one another at the end of the table and he patted her on the back. Mundungus Fletcher had slouched against the counter aside from the rest, decidedly unaffected by the news.

Now, the silence was deafening. The had spent the entire summer trying every way they could think of to get her and the others out of that place, but to no avail. Their plans were always thwarted and their newly appointed leader reminded them that there was more at stake than just the lives of a few school children. They could not just go rushing into a situation blindly.

He sat now at the head of the table and surveyed the gloominess. He laced his fingers together and set them on the smooth wooden surface calmly.

Molly looked over at him hopefully. "Kingsley, is there nothing to be done before Harry comes home?"

Kingsley gave her a somber look. "At the moment Molly, I do not see what _can_ be done. Sirius here cannot speak the location of Voldemort's new headquarters and he says the wards are astoundingly impenetrable. Now listen up everyone," he asked, clearing his throat and speaking more firmly, "I want Hermione back as well, more than anything. But, Sirius is the only person we have on the inside and if he helps her escape, then we will have nobody."

"What about Remus?" Bill asked. He had never given up hope that Remus was still on their side.

Kingsley sighed and looked him in the eye. "Remus made the choice that he felt he had to. We all know that inside he is still loyal to us, but the fact remains that he is not a spy. He agreed to switch of his own accord. I am only thankful that Sirius is with him. When this war is over, I will of course hear everything he has to say and we can go from there. But I cannot and will not put this organization in more danger than it has to be," he said finality, "Remus is not an option as right now."

Everyone nodded and hung their heads.

"Now I believe that we have a plan of action for extracting Harry safely from his relative's house. All that is left is to round up six Harry's and seven Order members and go over the plan until it is time. Now I've compiled a list of names that we can use." Kingsley took a piece of paper and read it over, clearing his throat. "The people that could be useful for posing as Harry are as follows: Mundungus Fletcher--," an absurd sound of protest was heard from the name in question—"Fred, George, Fleur Delacour, Ron, and Miss Jones."

Hestia nodded quietly and Molly squeezed Arthur's hand for support.

Kingsley continued. "As for the protectors, I have down myself, Mad-Eye, Bill who I have paired up with Miss Delacour, Charlie who can take one of his brothers, Elphias, Hagrid, and as for the seventh, I'm not quite sure yet if it should be--," he was cut off by a voice in the hallway.

"How about Nymphadora Tonks?"

Everything went so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All eyes turned to a decidedly not pregnant Tonks with flaming red hair who stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Her hard gaze took in every shocked face and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Anybody like to tell me what in the bloody hell is going on?" She angrily looked to everyone for an answer.

Many things happened simultaneously. Molly jumped up and ran to hug the girl, sobbing and kissing her on the cheek. The twins immediately started peppering her with questions, while Ron and Ginny had come down to see what the fuss was about. The others had stood up also asking their own questions. Sirius remained seated his thoughts racing as to what this untimely arrival would mean for him and Remus, and Kingsley settled his face into an overjoyed mask, though no one but Sirius noticed the very brief flash of annoyance that crossed his face before he stood and shouted for silence.

Everyone immediately quieted and led Tonks to a seat near Kingsley. He massaged his temples and looked up and sighed.

"I believe this meeting is going to last longer than we thought. Now, Tonks—about Remus," he started, looking hesitantly over at the witch.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione needed to get out of the room badly. She couldn't take it anymore. Everyday it was the same—lie around, take naps, eat finger food, gossip about nothing, dream of escape, and lastly, dread nightfall. As time went on they were frequently called more often by Deatheaters during the day also. She guessed that made sense since most of their raids on muggles and other 'undesirables' happened at night.

She sighed and looked out of the window, very bored. Her one consolation was that she had been able to practice her wandless magic during the day when she was left alone. She waited until most of the girls were gone or sleeping and then went to the bathroom. She was only able to practice certain things, but mainly she tried to find a way to get her gauntlets off.

Her plan with Remus was not going very well. At first Lucius seemed delighted to torment her with thoughts of handing her over to her former professor again. That of course was exactly what she wanted, to get him alone so that he could tell her everything. But, though Remus did make several suggestions and even resorted to outright asking, Lucius for some reason held back.

She thought that it had something to do with his wife. He was getting lost in a fantasy world and for over a month now had been making her take Polyjuice potion to take the form of Narcissa. It used to be once or twice a week, but over time she had slowly been forced to drink it almost everyday—one time she had even sipped it for half a day straight.

She still cringed at her memories of Draco's face when he had walked in that night and saw her on top of his father—in the form of his mother. It had been almost humiliating. Almost. That feeling had been stamped down before it had even had time to be acknowledged. Thankfully, the spell had been suppressing her true emotions for so long now that she hardly even noticed when it was working. A part of her knew that it was a powerful dark spell, but it was so addictive that she had never even asked Griselda to take it off.

She noticed something odd about it though. Sometimes it quit working for no reason. She would feel a rush of pain in her heart so great that she couldn't breathe for a moment. Then it would be gone. She hadn't been able so far to find a pattern.

She looked around at the girls. They were all there at the moment which meant that most of the Deatheaters would be gone. A thought sprang into her head and she quickly dismissed it. But, it stubbornly kept coming back and coming back until her resolve hardened and she sat up.

If she got caught nothing would happen to her that hadn't happened already. She cleared her throat and caught Lavender's eye.

"I just remembered. I was supposed to be in Lucius' room at one o'clock. I don't want to be late." Hermione stood up and Lavender nodded.

She felt a rush of adrenaline as she opened the door and peeked into the hallway. There was no one coming. She mentally slapped herself. Of course there was no one coming. Daisy had stopped escorting her weeks ago and now merely popped in to tell Hermione where to go and when to arrive. The Deatheaters rarely came directly to the room anymore since they usually already had it in their minds who they wanted ahead of time.

Two weeks ago Lucius had decided to threaten her by taking her to the Dark Lord's chambers to let him have her for a few hours as a punishment for brazenly defying him. He had tried to make her do something very disgusting and she had slapped him across the face and spit on his shoes. Mercifully, he had not brought her all the way to his master. Only far enough to make his point clear. That night was not a pleasant one for Hermione to remember and thankfully she had managed to block it out for the most part.

Luckily, on the way back to his room on the second floor they had passed a room that had both doors wide open. She noticed with excitement that it was a library.

Now, she thought as she padded lightly down the hall on the second floor, she only had to make it to the room and back without being caught inside. If she could only get one book she would be satisfied, she told herself.

Just as she saw the door and reached her hand out to the doorknob, she heard voices. She quickly panicked and pushed open the door and rushed inside. She closed the door as quietly as she could and leaned back against it breathing a sigh of relief.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" a soft voice asked. A voice from her nightmares.

Her blood ran cold and she opened her eyes. A pair of crimson eyes against a bone white face stared chillingly at her.

"Oh shit," she murmured not daring to move an inch from her spot by the door.

He laughed cruelly at her choice of words and stood up. Belatedly she remembered that if she wanted to save her stupid hide at all she had best bow as low to the ground as she could.

She promptly stepped forward and quickly did just that, her nose touching the antique rug. She held her breath and rapidly tried to think up any excuse she could for being out of her room, unsummoned.

"What is your reason for being here? Before you lie, I should warn you that Lucius is not here nor is Draco. In fact most of my followers are on missions at the moment." He circled her form on the floor and waited.

She cleared her throat quickly and tried to shake her brain into action. "Milord, I came here to get a book to read."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You may rise, slave."

Trembling slightly, she obeyed, though she kept her eyes on the carpet. It was hard enough to lie under pressure without having two red snake-eyes glaring at you. He continued to circle her in a predatory fashion.

"Obviously, since you dashed into this room, which is in fact a library, I ascertained that fact already. _Why_ did want a book to read?"

_Why the hell would anyone want a book to read?_ she thought in annoyance, but she kept her voice neutral. "Well, milord, it is rather-," and here she stopped abruptly. If she said it was extremely boring in the manor would Voldemort think up more creative things to occupy her time? She paused trying to think up another excuse.

"Go on," Voldemort prompted in a silky tone.

"Well, I had some free time this afternoon and I figured what better way to spend it than reading up on how many more ways I can please my master," she said brightly, half-expecting to be cursed for her insolence.

He snorted and stopped in front of her. "I'm sure Lucius will be pleased to know that you disobeyed direct orders from his master in an effort to please him."

She inwardly cringed. "You could always kill me and get it over with," she suggested hopefully.

He laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, mudblood. I never had any intentions of killing you."

She snapped her eyes up to his. "What?" she demanded, hastily adding 'master' to the end when she saw his face darken for a moment. "Why would you not kill me?"

He chuckled and returned to his seat by the window. "It depends really. Do you what next week holds?"

She hesitated and nodded. "It's Harry's birthday."

He smiled coldly. "Yes, that is right. After that he will no longer have the protection his mudblood mother afforded him all this time. If however my plan does not succeed, I will need you alive and put to better use than pleasuring Lucius in bed. I have left you alone so far only because it suited me, but do not get used to it," he warned harshly, his eyes gleaming.

Cold prickly apprehension washed over her at his words. She was pretty sure that she did not want to know what he had in store for her. Probably planning to torture her for information. But she was confused on one point. "You said that you would keep me alive if your plan to kill Harry next week failed. But why would you keep me alive if it succeeds?"

He smiled even wider now. It was a horrifying sight and she shuddered and took a step backwards. "Once I kill Potter, that blood-traitor Weasely will have a special fate as well. You will become my personal slave while his fate I have decided will remain a surprise."

She was now completely horrified. "Never," she spat backing up to the door.

He looked at her in amusement, much like Avery did sometimes. "How exactly do you think you will be able to prevent it? I must warn you that most women do not even survive a night with me. But then again you did last through the ordeal Lucius put you through last month so maybe it won't be a problem after all," he sneered, referring to the night when she almost died and Snape saved her.

Her face paled in anger and she balled up a fist. "Well, I can only hope that next time he succeeds in killing me."

He made a clucking noise and shook his head. "I have plans for you, mudblood. Lucius will not have you for much longer and he knows that if he kills you, he in turn will be killed as well as his son…and wife." He sneered as her face grew uncomfortable with the mention of Narcissa. "Oh yes, I know all about Lucius' nightly indulgences with a certain potion. He is weak and pines for a woman when he should be thinking of ways to better serve me."

She stayed silent as he spoke turning this new information over in her head. There would be no chance of escape once Voldemort personally took control over her.

He regarded her for a moment. "Have you tried to take off the bracelets yet?"

She looked up at him very surprised. "I thought we couldn't. There is no clasp. I assumed only a person who knew the spell could take it off, milord."

He smiled. "In the other slaves cases, yes. Anyone with a wand could remove them if they knew which to spell to use. But, in your case it does not apply." He smiled again and she wished he would stop. It was never a good thing when he smiled.

She waited patiently for him further enlighten her.

"You see you are owned by a specific family, the Malfoy's. Only a Malfoy or myself can remove yours." He did not elaborate on why he was telling her this. He simply stated it and looked back down at the papers he was reading.

A sudden thought popped into her head as she remembered something Griselda had said on her first day in this place. "Griselda said that only you could take them off, milord."

He sneered. "I'm sure she did and in a way that is true. My followers would never disobey my commands and I have commanded them to never remove any slave's gauntlets under any circumstances."

Her hopes that had been dashed now rose again. There was a chance that maybe she could convince Draco to release her and escape with her and his mother to the Order. He hadn't spoken to her yet since that horrible night, but maybe she could try and slip a note to him or something. He'd probably torture her but she didn't care. She had to try.

Lord Voldemort had stopped paying attention to her so she slowly turned to leave.

"I thought you came here for a book, slave," he said coldly, not looking at her.

"I-I did, but I-," she was confused.

He interrupted her as if she had never spoken. "I give you permission to take one book from here to your room. Choose before I change my mind."

She walked over to a bookshelf quickly, not dwelling on her shock at being allowed to do something that required her mind instead of her mouth. Silk fluttered behind her as she went. She looked at title after title and became increasingly annoyed. There were books pertaining to the best methods for torturing information out of someone, vile potions to prolong agony, how to skin a mudblood, and finally in outrage she looked up at the top of the shelf.

She was in the section pertaining to the dark arts. The dark, dark arts, she snorted and darted a hesitant glance over to Voldemort. He wasn't watching her thankfully and she left that shelf went to the one next to it. It was the same as the other and she bit her lip.

Should she dare to cross the room and risk his wrath? He had told her to choose quickly, but how could she choose a book from this selection? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a book that stood out from the rest. She stopped her nervous dancing and knelt down to look at it.

It was thick and heavy and bound in faded black leather. She touched it very cautiously. Books could be dangerous she knew. There was power in the written word as well as the spoken. It looked ancient.

Finally after darting another glance over to the other shelves, as well as Voldemort, she gingerly slid it out of its slot and placed it on her knees and opened it. On the very first page there was a Latin inscription. Thank Merlin she had studied Latin in her free time at Hogwarts.

It was short and she realized that in order to read the book she would have to say the incantation aloud. And it would probably be dangerous. If it rejected her then she would most likely be cursed or killed.

Her insatiable curiosity as well as her desperation to read something finally got the better of her and she quietly (and probably foolishly) whispered the words so that he couldn't hear her. She waited but nothing extraordinary happened and she cautiously turned the page. Words appeared on it and she breathed a sigh of relief and shut the book. She had better take it to her room where she could read it at her leisure.

Suddenly she heard the door open quietly and then slam. She jumped up, clutching the book and turned around. She paled when she saw Lucius standing there looking murderous. She walked quickly over and covertly placed the book on a table behind her. She also looked around and saw no trace of Voldemort. Had he left earlier?

Lucius walked over and grabbed her hair, wrenching her head back to look at his furious face.

"How dare you disobey my orders? I told you never to leave your room unless summoned," he hissed, his silver eyes practically flaming.

"Master, I can explain," Hermione started but was cut off with a slap to the face.

"I didn't ask for excuses did I? You are far too defiant whore. I shall just have to punish you for your disobedience." He looked around the room and his eyes fell on the table by the window. He dragged her over to it and peered down at the contents.

He swept the papers and goblet off the surface with one arm, sneering at the look of shock on her face.

"Master, that was—the Dark Lord—we have to--," she stammered nonsense and with widened eyes she darted her eyes around the room and over to the door. Lucius wasn't paying attention to her.

He jerked her arm roughly and picked her up, tossing her onto the spot where Lord Voldemort's meal had just been seconds before. She struggled against the arm that pinned her down. She was scared but not of Lucius. Voldemort would not be happy when he saw his papers and goblet as well as its contents strewn carelessly on the carpet and she was sure, as a slave, he would torture her for it.

Lucius was unbuttoning his trousers now and leering at her. She didn't stop struggling and accidentally kicked him in the stomach.

That earned her another slap.

"You're a cold-hearted bitch," he hissed at her with a maniacal glint in his eyes, "You're my wife. This is your duty," he said holding his wand at her throat.

She was incredulous and actually scared for her life at the moment. He was going crazy. She needed to snap him out of this now or else he might kill her. She remembered Voldemort's words from earlier—that if she died the entire Malfoy family would die. She didn't really want Draco to die though his father could go to hell for all she cared.

Thinking fast she kicked him in his crotch hard and quickly punched him in his jaw. "I'm not your wife you lunatic!" she hollered as he grabbed his bleeding lip.

He lunged at her and again pinned her to the table. Suddenly a cold voice sounded beside them.

"Lucius. What are you doing?" Voldemort appeared looking very wrathful and intimidating. Well, to Hermione he always looked that way, but she could see he was very angry now. She groaned and stopped struggling immediately. She would surely get punished for this.

Lucius ceased his actions and bowed his head. "Milord, I did know you were here."

"That is obvious," he said disdainfully in his snake-like voice, "Why are extremely important documents as well as my lunch on the floor?"

Lucius paled. "Milord, I'm sorry. I'm afraid that in my haste I--," he was too scared to even name the action. He knew his master had heard everything he had said, calling the mudblood slave his wife though that was assuredly a slip of the tongue. He started sweating.

"Pick them up immediately. And remove your slave from the place where I dine," he said coldly.

Hermione didn't wait for Lucius to remove her. She simply leapt up from the table and quickly and to her chagrin bowed. She felt like such a coward every time she did this. Harry wouldn't have done it. But, then again Harry would never be in her unique position either, she reasoned. Once Lucius was finished he remained standing with his head bowed.

"Lucius, your actions disappoint me."

"Milord," he protested, "she is my slave. I regret being unaware of your presence but--,"

Voldemort cut him off with a quick dose of the Cruciatus. Lucius clamped down his lips to keep from screaming and struggled back to his feet. "You know what I am talking about Lucius. I know of your obsession with your wife. It has become embarrassing to me. Either bring your wife here, or control yourself. If not I will simply remove her from existence. It is your choice," he sneered, circling Lucius as he had Hermione.

Lucius paled again. "Yes, milord, of course."

"I have decided that you have one week Lucius…one week left with your slave and then I am giving her to someone else. You have a chance to redeem yourself, which had better be soon if you cherish your family at all."

Hermione's blood ran cold at his words. He was giving her to someone else. Only a week. Lucius was awful but she had come to predict his actions. And he had bargained with her. If she used the Polyjuice potion and acted like his wife when they were together he wouldn't give her to anyone else. It was a strange, small favor but one none the less. Who was he giving her too? It didn't matter, she thought bitterly. They were all the same.

"Yes, milord," was the rather choked and strangled reply.

"Good, Lucius. Now, I have another mission for you. Go immediately to Avery's chambers and tell him you will be accompanying him. He will inform you of the details. Go," he commanded and Lucius left, sparing Hermione a glance that was full of retribution.

Hermione dared not move until she was given permission. The door clicked respectfully behind Lucius and once again she was alone with the Dark Lord.

"Well, mudblood, I see you have found a book that is to your liking. You may return to your room now," Voldemort dismissed.

She quickly stood and went to turn but suddenly he caught her arm and dragged her close to his face. She couldn't meet his eyes and so she stared at a point past him while he scrutinized her face.

She swallowed. What was he doing? She tried to keep as much of her body from actually touching him as possible and he only sneered and kept an inhuman grip on her arm.

"You know, it's strange," he started still inspecting her, "due to certain measures I have taken to protect myself, I do not possess the same desires that other men do. I am not bothered by the petty emotions that my followers are plagued with such as love or lust or compassion. Oh yes," he smiled when he saw her face, "it may fascinate you to realize that my loyal followers are on occasion plagued with that worthless emotion."

She stayed silent feeling trapped yet curious.

"For instance, Snape once begged for the life of a mudblood such as yourself. Of course I killed her and he agreed that it had been a foolish thing to ask, yet it amazed me that even _he_ was weak like that. Rodolphus was also once punished for not carrying out my orders implicitly. He was ordered to kill a family and instead killed only the parents, leaving the children alive."

She felt sick as he spoke. How could someone kill babies and innocent people? She couldn't imagine Bellatrix's husband as any less cruel than her, but out of the Dark Lord's mouth was evidence to the contrary. "What happened?" she asked in almost a whisper.

He smiled again. "To the children? Oh, I took care of them personally, it was actually relatively recent—the Burn's? Yes, I had to clean up his mess and then I ordered his wife to punish him, which she relished of course."

She wished that he would just let her go. Instead he raised a finger to her face and lightly touched her cheekbone. She shuddered and turned her face away. "If you aren't plagued by the same desires as you say, then why do you want to make me your personal slave? To do your laundry?" she snorted.

He sneered down at her. "Of course not, mudblood. Really, when you stop to think about it, what else is possibly more horrifying to you than being forced to serve my every…whim?"

"Nothing," she whispered in revulsion.

"That is why."

XXXXXXXXXX

Sirius strode into the room quickly and shut the door. Night had fallen and he had just returned from reporting to Voldemort about the meeting with the Order. Remus looked up quickly and saw the distressed look on his friends face. He took a gulp of his firewhiskey and turned his attention to the other man.

"Remus, we have a problem," Sirius said walking over to pour his own drink, "There has been a new development." He downed the liquid quickly and then went and sat next to his friend.

"What is it?" he asked very alarmed. He tightened his grip on the armrest of his chair anxiously.

Sirius took a deep breath. "Dora's back. She showed up at the meeting today and she was not happy. Kingsley told her everything."

Remus paled slightly. "Why would she come back? Is the baby born yet? Where is she staying?"

"She came back because it's not in her nature to sit back and let the people she loves die without fighting alongside them. Yes, she already had the baby; it came early, but it's fine. It's a boy. She named him Ted Remus Lupin after you and her father. He's pretty cute actually," Sirius grinned and slapped Remus on the back. "She showed everyone a picture."

Remus smiled and sat back wondering what his son looked like and if he was afflicted with his father's curse.

Sirius plunged ahead. "Kingsley also told her that you switched sides." He hurried to cut off his friends' incoming apoplexy. "We told her that you only did it to protect her and that you haven't truly switched, but she's still furious. And scared. She wants you come home immediately and I agree with her."

Remus slumped down in his chair. "How can I ever go home after what I've done?"

"Well," the darker man reasoned, "Kingsley didn't tell her about what we did; nobody else knows. He also _neglected _to mention that he was the one who told you to keep your promise to Voldemort--to serve him, I mean. And anyway when Voldemort finds out he doesn't have leverage over you anymore, I don't think he will want keep you around. He knows the only reason you are here is because he threatened your wife and child."

Remus thought for a moment and then exhaled loudly. "You're right. He'll either kill me or use my curse against me." He knew that Voldemort loved trapping werewolves in with their victims on the full moon so that they would have no choice but to bite and kill. "I'm not afraid to die though I do love Dora and Teddy, but I couldn't live with myself if I killed an innocent person."

They sat together in silence for a long while each lost in a torrent of thought.

Finally, Sirius filled his friend in on what was going to happen in the coming week. He told him about the Order's plan to extract Harry and that Dora had insisted on being one the protectors. Remus nodded. He had known Dora wouldn't stay out of the action being back in England. He just desperately hoped that she wouldn't get killed. He couldn't lose her. He had sacrificed too much for her.

"I think that night would be the best night to escape back to the Order, Remus. The only problem is that I don't know who to trust just yet what with that bastard wrapping everyone around his finger like he has."

Remus perked his head up. "What about Mad-Eye?"

Sirius was thoughtful for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, as long as I break it to him without Kingsley present we might be able to sneak you into the Burrow and explain to everyone. Dora is staying at her mother's house for now with the baby. I'll try to speak to her at the meeting next week and tell her to expect you."

Remus buried his head in his hands. "How I can ever face anybody after this? It doesn't matter that nobody knows. _I_ know. God, I still see her face every night. I never thought she could ever have that much hate in her until now. Two months!" he shouted causing to Sirius to double-check his Silencing charms quickly. "Two months and we've done nothing."

Sirius scowled. "I'm almost positive Kingsley has stalled every effort the Order has made to rescue her. Damn it, I wish I knew why he betrayed us. I can't find anything out. He still doesn't know that I saw him stun her. Once you're back with Dora I can turn my full attention to getting Hermione out of here. I'm thinking of a portkey," he mused thoughtfully, "that way the other girls can leave too. A very powerful portkey."

He sat up straighter and frowned. "The only problem is those bloody gauntlets. Only the Dark Lord or Malfoy can take them off right now. I don't know if she knows that or not. Hopefully, Lucius will make an even bigger ass of himself so Voldemort will give Hermione to me." He laughed at this but immediately sobered upon looking at Remus' face.

"Oh come on, Moony. I'm not going to have my wicked way with her," he sighed, rolling his eyes at his friend's glare. "Even though I have to admit she has become very beautiful. But, the truth will come out one day and I'll have a better chance of not being disowned by my godson if I _haven't_ shagged his best friend while she was wrongfully enslaved to me. Besides," he added, his expression turning serious and some of the pain he hid showing in his eyes, "she's been through enough."

They sat together in the chairs in front of the fire and in silence, slowly drank the memories away into oblivion. They both inwardly vowed that before the war was over, justice would be served where it was rightfully due.

Sirius was thinking of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus was thinking about himself.


	9. Sacrifice or Betrayal?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and liked this story. If I forget to answer everyone I apologize beforehand, but I'm not very organized and things slip through. Also, just so there is no confusion about the last chapter or the story I wanted to state that:**

**Kingsley is not a spy. He had personal reasons for wanting Hermione out of the picture and betrayed her of his own volition. **

**This is going to be an eventual SB/HG pairing so there will have to be some sort of understanding eventually between the two of them. I swear on my life that I will do my best to make it as believable as possible. Hermione will do some things also in this war that will not put her in a very noble light.**

**Is anyone dying for more Draco action? I don't want her to seem to flighty if she's going to end up with SB, but Draco is sexy and needs a friend. ******

The tension in the air was palpable. Hermione had been trying to find out all week when Voldemort was going to attack Harry, but to no avail. Lucius had beaten and raped her so bad every night that she had barely any time to weasel any information out of him.

He had not taken Voldemort's chastisement in the library very well at all. He seemed to personally blame her for his turn of fortune. The worst night had been three days ago when he had decided to let Draco in on the fun.

Lucius always started out the night the same way. A whipping, some sex, a little torture, more sex, and then sleep. He always chained her to the wall by her gauntlets and stripped her top off, forcing her to face the cold, rigid, hardness of the wall. It served as a good brace when she sagged against it. That night however Draco was waiting in the room when she walked through the door.

She merely had to look at his nauseous, slightly uncomfortable expression to know that his father had something extra special planned. To her credit, Draco only noticed a flicker of fear pass over her face before it settled into something impassive and neutral. His father smirked at her before reaching over to pour himself a drink.

"Well, mudblood I thought we might have a bit of company tonight. My son has been working far too hard this summer and I thought he should have a break."

Draco sat there frowning uncomfortably, not meeting her eyes. Lucius continued.

"It seems Draco that the Dark Lord sees fit to let us play with our pet for only a few days more before she will be given to someone else."

Draco's head looked over to Lucius, questioningly. "Why?"

Lucius grimaced. "I do not know why, son. Perhaps he has plans for her that he has not shared with us yet. In any case, I wished to make sure that our mudblood will always remember us and I'm know that after tonight she always will," he sneered, draining his glass.

"Father, you are not suggesting that we both share her at the same time? I don't think that is very-,"

Lucius cut him off. "Of course not, son. That is distasteful. But I did think we could have fun with her in other ways." A hard glint came into his eye as he perused his son's flushed face. "If the Dark Lord suspects you of getting too soft, Draco, the consequences will not be good."

Draco had been hesitating, trying to think up an excuse to leave, but he heard the double meaning in his father's words. Torture the mudblood and start proving you're worthy or you jeopardize your family's lives. He swallowed and nodded.

Hermione looked at the silent battle that was waging inside Draco and she was glad they had spent time apart. She hoped that it would be easier on him to do what he had to do. But, before she was beaten again, she decided that this would be a good chance to plant the seeds of doubt for the path she hoped Draco would take in the future.

Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Why don't you just tell him the truth, Lucius?" It was not lost on anyone in the room that she had called him by his name instead of 'master'. Nobody said anything while they looked at her in surprise. "Why don't you tell him how once again your master has threatened to kill your wife?"

Lucius' eyes narrowed and he darted a glance over to Draco who had gone pale. He looked back at Hermione and spoke softly. "Slave, I suggest that you cease speaking immediately unless you wish to suffer dire consequences."

Draco looked angrily over to his father. "What is she talking about, father?"

Before, Lucius could smooth anything over, Hermione dared to speak again. "Oh, I'm talking about how the Dark Lord got wind of your father's late night obsession with Polyjuice potion among other things and told him to gain control of himself or your mother would be eliminated."

Lucius stood abruptly and she felt the palm of his hand connect with the side of her face. Through the stinging pain, she kept talking. "All you went through last year to save her, after only two months her life in peril once again."

This time his hand went to her throat, but she still managed to squeak out a few words. "How long do you think she will last Draco if her life depends on your father's sanity—and the Dark Lord's?" After that she blacked out.

Hermione always shuddered when she thought of that night. She remembered that Draco had fled the room while she was out and that Lucius had been extra brutal with her because of it. She thought that he had some inkling of what she was trying to do to Draco and he didn't like it one bit. She didn't see Draco in the days after that and she wondered if he was going to be on the mission to kill Harry.

She had suspected all day that tonight was the night that Voldemort was going to attempt that feat. There had been something in the air that morning and afternoon. None of the girls had been called yet and now that night had fallen they were all still there, lounging around on the colorful pillows and drinking and talking.

Hermione was surprised at the semblance of normalcy that the others had achieved in the two months they had been prisoners at Malfoy manor. A sort of guilty, silent acceptance of their fate had settled into them and they all tried to make the best of it. The most shocking piece of information had come from Katie Bell.

Katie had whispered to her one day that she had an interesting development with Goyle. Being one of the prettiest girls in the 'harem', Goyle had taken an immediate liking to Katie and almost always sent for her. One day, she had walked in his room to find him _crying_ of all things. Katie was shocked and scared thinking he was going to punish her for seeing him this way.

But, instead he merely shrugged and continued sitting there in his chair sniffing. Awkwardly, Katie asked him what was wrong, and after getting past his rudeness, he told her that he missed his wife who had been dead for about six months. Goyle proceeded to tell her all about his deceased spouse and she hesitantly patted his back and tried to make him feel better.

The most surprising part came when Katie told Hermione that he hadn't forced her to have sex with him since then. He will still sent for her but only makes her sleep in his bed and clean his room.

Hermione gaped at her. "You mean to tell me that Goyle Sr. has a crush on you?" she asked in astonishment. Katie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," she said darkly, "but don't think that changes anything. I would still kill him given the chance; I don't care how lonely and miserable he is. He tortures and kills people for Merlin's sake!"

Hermione was glad that her friend hadn't been suckered into caring for the bastard. She still remembered Katie's screams from that night and the sound of her arm breaking. She shuddered and let her eyes roam over the other girls. They all seemed resigned except for Pavarti. She hardly ever spoke nowadays and she always had Lavender around her patting her back. She looked like she never slept anymore and whenever Hermione did see her smile it was distant as if she were thinking about something else entirely.

She sighed and continued gazing out of the darkened window looking for any sign of anyone coming or going. She just couldn't stamp down the feeling of dread that something awful was going to happen soon.

Four hours later, it turned out she was right. Without warning several Deatheaters apparated into the chamber, yelling for everyone to stand up quickly. Each Deatheater grabbed a girl and apparated them down to what was supposed to be a makeshift audience hall.

Voldemort sat in a large throne-like chair towards the front of the room, while standing to both sides were his followers. She noticed that a lot of them looked injured and bloody. She glanced up at Voldemort's face and felt a shiver of dread run down her spine when she saw his eyes trained on her. This can't be good, she thought.

Her fears were confirmed when she the other girls were taken off to the side while she was shoved roughly to the front, to stand before Voldemort. The man holding her took off his mask and she saw that it was Lucius, sneering down at her. The others took their masks off as well, but remained silent. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sirius, clothed in normal attire, though he too was injured slightly.

Her body tensed as she started to feel caged in and she warily looked back up to Voldemort.

"Mudblood, it seems that your friends have escaped once again."

She unconsciously let a small smile grace her lips.

"Yes, they are alive, but as of now I have decided to take full advantage of your usefulness. I think it's only fair after I have sheltered and clothed you all this time," he smirked as the others laughed.

She remained silent not letting his words outwardly affect her composure. Lucius kept a tight grip on her arm and had her pressed against his body. She swallowed and waited.

"Now, back to business," he started, and an instant hush descended, "tell me, where would your friend Potter be hiding?"

She only stared at him.

"I ask again, mudblood—where is the brat?" When she still denied him answer he cursed her. She was only held up by Lucius' grasp on her arm.

"We will come back to that question in a moment. Tell me, does Potter have a girlfriend?"

The word 'girlfriend' sounded absurd coming form the Dark Lord's lips, but she had no desire to laugh. She would never tell them about Ginny. They would have to torture her longer than that. But, just as he raised his wand to curse her again, a thought came into her head.

"Wait!" she breathed, biting her lip and feeling bad about what she was going to say, even though there was no reason she should feel bad. Voldemort looked satisfied with himself and motioned her to continue.

"He did have a girlfriend."

"Well, what is her name, girl?"

She gave him a slightly embarrassed look. "I am his girlfriend. At least I was." Harry would forgive her slander if saved Ginny's life, she inwardly joked.

Voldemort looked at her with a flicker of surprise and she heard murmurs in the crown as well as voiced doubts. He leaned forward to scrutinize her. "You?" he scoffed, "I have heard no such rumors."

"Then who have you heard rumors about?"

He stayed silent contemplating that question. "How long?" he sneered, fingering his wand lightly.

She thought quickly trying to make it as believable as possible. "Since the end of fifth year, after Sirius _died_," she stressed and looked disdainfully over at the man she was speaking of who glared back at her. Another thought popped into her head and she went with it. "I can offer some sort of proof if you wish, milord."

His eyes narrowed. "What sort of proof?"

"Well, Harry has a birthmark on his thigh in a very concealed place. Only someone in my situation would have seen it. And I know for a fact that I was the only girl to have gotten that far."

"How is that proof?"

"Because, before he was imprisoned, I know Sirius Black took care of Harry as his godfather. Anyone who changed Harry's diapers would have also seen it also." She hoped Sirius wouldn't curse her into eternity for telling the entire audience that he used to change Harry Potter's diapers. Snorts of laughter were echoing off the walls and Sirius looked fit to hex her right on the spot.

"Is this true Sirius? Is there a mark on the boy?"

Sirius scowled at her while answering. "Yes, milord, it is true."

Voldemort looked delighted as he turned his attention back to Hermione. "Well, this is very good news indeed. I wonder how far Potter will go to save his beloved mudblood whore?" He flashed his red eyes over her face again.

"I am pleased to see you are cooperating, slave. Now back to my first question. Where would that band of muggle-loving fools hide Potter?"

She wouldn't answer him and he cursed her again. Each time he asked her she stayed silent and took the pain. Her jaw was aching from clenching so hard, but she would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry or scream. Well, thanks to Griselda, the former was impossible.

After what seemed like an eternity, Voldemort quit using the Cruciatus. He could tell that she would rather stay silent and die or go insane than tell him any information. "Mudblood, there are worse things I could do to you. Things that as of yet you have not experienced."

She was breathing heavy and twitching still from spasms. The after effects were simply annoying and she was beginning to wonder of she was going to have permanent damage to her body from this.

She stood resolutely, still lightly leaning into Lucius and squared her jaw. She and Voldemort locked gazes.

"How would you like me to chain you to a bed in the middle of the room and let my followers take you one by one? After they all have a turn, then we can start over and go again." He burned holes into her with his red eyes but she didn't move.

She knew that he would do it to her. She didn't doubt his word. But she would never tell her enemies anything that would hurt the Order or their cause. It would be worth every ounce of agony if in the end Voldemort was defeated.

In answer to his questions, she lifted her head slightly and pointedly looked away.

Their was shifting and excited murmuring as some thought that this would finally be their chance to inflict some pain and humiliation on the bitch that had been defying them for so long.

Voldemort had seen in her eyes that she fully believed his words. And still she refused to cooperate. It was time to up the stakes. He knew that after his next surprise she would spill her guts about everything she knew. She would probably help them win this war though it would be against her will of course.

He flicked his hand over to Draco Malfoy who was standing closest to his master. Voldemort hadn't missed the look of discomfort and pain on his face as he watched the slave get tortured. Neither had he missed the look of intense jealousy when she had said she was Potter's whore. Oh, the petty, ridiculous emotions that his followers had. Well, maybe this would help the boy keep himself in check.

"Draco, will you bring the prisoners in here?"

Hermione was instantly alarmed and could think of only one thing. He was going to use someone close to her as leverage against her. How could she let him win? She wouldn't let him win, she thought firmly.

Her resolve instantly crumbled as she recognized her parent's unconscious forms being levitated inside the chamber. Draco looked miserable and was trying to mask it but failing. Lucius dragged Hermione off slightly to the side. He kept a firm grip on her as she struggled to go to them.

They woke up groggily and very confused. Hermione's mom looked over and recognized her first. "Hermione? What are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" she asked gaping at her daughter's scandalous attire.

Hermione looked guiltily away and Voldemort answered for her. "Your filthy mudblood daughter is my slave now. She has been quite entertaining so I hear," he taunted to their pale faces.

They didn't know what to do so they just stayed quiet and trembled on the floor.

"Now, slave will you continue to defy me? Will you allow your muggle parents to pay the price for your misguided sense of loyalty?"

"Do you think your precious Order would sacrifice their lives or family to save you? Your werewolf took only a few minutes to decide that he would rather his mudblood wife and puppy live. Potter's godfather even abandoned your futile and worthless cause. Not to mention the corruption that leads that ridiculous and hypocritical club of disgraces."

She had no idea what he was talking about with that last part he said, but she refused to listen. "I am loyal to Harry Potter and Ronald Weasely,' her voice rang out. "The information you wish me to give you would harm them and so I will not tell you. Any ounce of suffering is worth having you dead," she spat daringly.

If Voldemort was surprised he didn't show it. Instead he instantly turned his wand onto the helpless couple in front of him. Their screams bounced off the walls and filled her ears. If she could have she would have been sobbing right now, but she was unable. She couldn't by any means allow Voldemort to find out about the horcruxes and she also couldn't be the reason that the Weasley's and Harry were killed.

But how could she allow her own parents to be killed instead?

He let it up after about a minute and looked at her expectantly. He was losing patience fast. She was supposed to have cracked by now. He furiously took in her defiant expression and with renewed rage he continued to vigorously torture her parents.

_How can I do this? How can I do this?_

Her stomach felt so sick she knew she was going to throw up any second.

_If I tell him where I think Harry is he will kill everybody. Dozens of lives would be lost. Once Voldemort won he would kill her parents anyway. Or lock them in a dungeon to use as leverage over her for the rest of her life. She also knew that he might kill them after she caved and told him what he wanted to know. It would be for nothing._

_The war is more important than just my family. Voldemort must be thwarted at all costs._ She had seen what her life was going to be like if he won. This, only much, much worse. And everybody who had fought against the Dark Lord would be tortured and murdered. All hope would be lost.

She was vaguely aware that her parents screaming had stopped and she quickly turned her attention back to the ominous figure sitting on his throne. Her parents were only half conscious now. Speculative glances were being cast her way, as if nobody could believe she was going to actually sacrifice her parents to help the Order.

_I should have protected them better. I failed them. I love them so much. I can't do this. Please forgive me._

"One last time girl. Will you tell me what I want to know?"

Her parents looked at her so confused and half angry that she didn't just tell the lunatic what he wanted to know. But, they also knew their daughter well, and if she was allowing them to suffer it was for a good reason.

The cool soothing tingle trickled throughout her body. It knew that it had to do more than just help block out screams this time. It didn't like the screaming that it heard. They hurt the person that it was protecting and… perhaps a decision could be made to try and cease the screaming forever.

Hermione felt the numbing magic coursing through her and it hardened her heart and stiffened her spine. She looked one last time at her parents, pleading with them silently to forgive her. "I love you," she said her voice cracking slightly, and then looked at Voldemort.

He was quite surprised by the intensity and coldness in her eyes. The chamber was dead silent except for the sounds of her mother crying and her father coughing. He quietly stared at her giving her ample time to change her mind.

She coldly gazed at him, clearly conveying her answer in that look. Then once more she lifted her chin and looked coldly, pointedly away. She looked at nobody in particular, and kept her focus on her parents through her peripherals.

"Very well, mudblood. As you wish," Voldemort stated and he filled the chamber with a bright green light. Her parents slumped over and all noise ceased entirely.

"Draco and Dolohov, take this baggage out and throw it with the other trash."

She flinched at his words but made no comment or movement of distress. The magic was full force now, blocking out her pain and giving her strength. Lucius guided her back to the very spot where her parents had been breathing just moments before and stood before his master.

"I hope you realize that your foolish attempts to be self-sacrificing have gotten you nowhere, slave,' he remarked lazily.

She glared icily at him and he laughed his cruel laugh. "I must admit that I am surprised that you would go so far. Had your blood not been so tainted with impurity I would have actively seeked to recruit you to my side."

She snorted. "I would have never joined you. And by the way," she said slyly looking at him, "blood has nothing to do with power. Some extremely powerful wizards are _mudbloods_ and even _half-bloods_, milord." She looked at him challengingly and wondered if anybody in the room actually knew of their master's parentage.

His gaze narrowed on her. He knew exactly what she was talking about and it infuriated him…and slightly exhilarated him also. "It is true that even Slytherin house sometimes accepts those of lesser blood. If they demonstrate true greatness that is." He paused and looked at her, smiling his horrible smile. "So how did it finally feel to kill someone?"

She looked sharply at him. "I didn't kill them, you did!" she shot back angrily. How dare he blame their deaths on her?

He was right though, wasn't he?

He chuckled. "You had a choice to save their lives and you decided not to take it. How very un-Gryffindor of you," he sneered, producing titters of laughter.

"Any sacrifice will be worth it once you die."

He stood slowly and walked towards her. "My, my. What a sharp tongue you have. It's a wonder Lucius and Draco still have their manhood." He continued to circle her and Lucius stepped back respectfully. "Why you're just as mercenary as my followers. You know," he paused, speaking in a normal tone. Not many people would hear him now. "I killed my family too." He relished in the look on her face.

She was repulsed and horrified. "I am nothing like you," she flung at him angrily.

He shook his head and went stationary in front of her. "Of course you are nothing like me. I am better than you in every way. You are a filthy mudblood and I am the most powerful wizard to grace the wizarding world since Salazar himself. Now, in conclusion to the night's entertainment, I have another present for you, mudblood."

She glared at him. "I don't like your presents, you bastard."

She felt the equivalent of a hard slap across her face and she glared. He was smiling complacently at her still and continued.

"I think you have had enough play time with the Malfoy family and have therefore decided to give you to someone else."

She felt herself grow a little faint at his words, and was terrified of who he was going to pick.

"Sirius, step forward."

She couldn't believe it. He was giving her to Sirius Black? How could her life get any more fucked up after this night? The soft clicking of heels on the surface of the floor stopped when they reached her side.

Lucius let out a strangled sound somewhere behind her and she was grateful that she wouldn't be getting punished by him tonight.

Voldemort's fiery gaze turned on Lucius. "Is there something you would like to say, Lucius?"

"No, milord," he said, bowing his head so that his master wouldn't see the fury in his eyes.

"That is good. Remember our little chat last week? Unless you want to be a single man again, Lucius, you should remember your place. It doesn't seem as if your wife is doing much for you anyway," he sneered, not noticing Draco's slight clenching of fists.

Lucius stayed silent at his words.

Hermione noticed Draco however and she took another opportunity to look him in the eye. He gave her a weak glare and looked away. Suddenly she felt fingertips pressing into her back, pushing her lightly forward.

Everyone in the large room left wearily and Sirius pointed his wand at her back and told her to walk forward. She felt like she was in a daze as she treaded on the soft carpet and numbly placed one foot in front of the next. He didn't even try to speak to her until they arrived in his room.

She felt nothing right now. How could she feel nothing after what she had done? Voldemort was right. She had killed them same as if she uttered the spell herself. How had she lost herself in so little time? Was she evil? She had just stood by and let her parents be murdered for her cause. In the hopes that _someday_ her sacrifice would something, would be worth it for a noble cause.

Was she justified in that? A thought hit her like lightning and it actually made her body jerk. How was she any different than Remus Lupin? He had made a despicable choice to save his family, his salvation. She had made a despicable choice to sacrifice her family for the greater good.

As her thoughts danced dangerously along these lines she shoved them away with all her might. She would not stop hating him! She couldn't, not when _she_ had been the one he had sacrificed for _his_ greater good.

_Dirty hypocrite,_ her mind whispered to her causing her to shake her head. It was different. Her choices could potentially help save the world from a monster.

_He chose his wife and his innocent unborn baby. How can you blame him?_

She hated that voice with a passion and resolutely decided to shut all thought processes down, except for what she would need to function and move. She noticed Sirius looking at her oddly and she wondered if the conversation she had been having with herself had been entirely _within_ herself.

"What?" she snapped, her nerves at the breaking point. She looked up into his blue-grey eyes and glared at him. She felt like taunting someone. Hurting them, breaking them. Maybe then she would feel something. She remembered Voldemort's previous words and tossed them angrily aside. She was better than him.

Sirius looked very disturbed. "Hermione what's wrong with you? Don't tell me 'nothing', because I can sense something inside you. You've changed into a different person. Please talk to me. There is so much that I have wanted to explain to you."

She was exhausted. She didn't want to talk and she didn't want to listen. She wanted him to shut-up and leave her alone. "Can we stop talking and just skip to the rape and torture, please?" she asked sarcastically. For all she knew, he _did_ rape and torture women.

His face darkened and he stepped toward her. For a moment she was scared. She didn't actually know Sirius that well. She didn't exactly know what he was capable of yet.

He reminded himself that he deserved everything she gave him and calmed down. He placed his hands on both shoulders and drew her closer to him. She trembled as she waited for what came next, but to her surprise nothing happened. He only wrapped his arms around her and held her in a very chaste way.

Almost like a father. She stiffly let him hold her until she was forced to relax. He was trying to put her at ease so that she would be more pliable and sensible. Her face pressed against his chest and closed her eyes.

He slowly stroked her head and made light soothing noises. If she could cry, she would have been bawling like a baby. But as it were she only felt a pang in her heart. Her parent's unseeing eyes stared up at her in every other thought that flashed across her the backs of her eyelids.

"I want you to know that I'm not going to hurt you, Hermione."

There is more than one way to hurt somebody, she thought silently.

"In _any_ way," he clarified. "You are as safe as you possibly can be now. Tomorrow I will tell you everything, but for now I think it's best if you sleep."

She looked warily at him and shrugged. He poured her a small amount of firewhiskey in a clear glass and handed it to her. She gulped it down and immediately grimaced. It was awful, she thought in distaste. But a warm feeling started to spread through her body and she immediately poured another and tossed it back as well.

He looked at her nervously. "Do you have pajamas or something to sleep in?"

She cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. "I have always slept naked here; even upstairs on the fifth floor. We all did," she shrugged, all traces of modesty long since stripped away.

Sirius made a valiant effort not picture seven naked young girls sleeping and possibly cuddling with each other. Maybe some playful wrestling with pillows. His thoughts continued down this line until he heard a clearing of the throat.

Hermione was looking at him oddly. "Did you hear me?"

He nodded his head and cleared his throat as well. _Dirty old lecher_, he scolded himself. "Well, you can borrow a shirt of mine if you want."

She shrugged again. "Whatever." The room was taking on a nice glow and she yawned and stretched, causing Sirius to almost have a pressing need to sit down. He had been celibate for a long time and seeing Hermione like this was starting to get to him.

Precisely the reason he had been avoiding her like the plague.

She shifted again and looked at him. "I don't know if you know this yet, but you are the only one who can take my clothes off. Only my _master_ is able to," she grimaced in disgust, glaring at him.

He stared blankly at her until comprehension dawned. It was like having a flashback to the first night with Draco. He walked over to get a clean shirt and placed it over the chair beside her. He then tried as quickly as possible to undo her clasps without embarrassing her. Both pieces slid off and he was taken aback by how marvelous her body was. He wondered how much of it had been altered by Griselda and then brushed that thought away. Who cares? She was gorgeous.

Hermione slid the shirt over her and gasped at how wonderful the fabric felt against her skin. "Merlin, I miss clothes," she murmured, rubbing her hands up and down her torso.

"Yes, well, you can have the bed," he said quickly, walking over to his chair by the fire.

She wanted to argue with him, to tell him not to be silly-- they could share the bed. After all, it's not as if she hadn't already had worse done to her.

But, then she mentally slapped herself and remembered that this vile man in front of her didn't deserve any of her pity or kindness. She walked slowly to the bed and climbed in, making sure to settle herself in to one side. Just in case he changed his mind in the middle of the night. She definitely didn't want to touch him unless she was forced to.

Sleep claimed her quickly and then it was time for her penance. The punishment that she would gladly take for betraying her parents. The punishment that she deserved.

The nightmares.

Their screams.

Their dead eyes and contorted bodies.

And even worse than all that, the look in both of their faces when they realized that their beloved daughter was throwing them to the snake.

**A/N-Sorry, if there are editing mistakes in this chapter. I only went over it twice. I was in a hurry. Hoped you enjoyed. More action to come. ******


	10. The Whole Story-Almost

**A/N- Keep in mind that this chapter was mostly written to get out more of the back story. I'm not sure if I entirely like it, but it will have to do. More details will come out later, but I wanted to get started on the dynamics between Hermione and Sirius and give some insight as to what's happening with the Order. Also some details are not going to be perfectly depicted—I don't have the patience. ******__

_The same night that Hermione's parents were killed_

Harry watched in terrified fear as Voldemort closed in behind them. His scarlet eyes were livid and all reason seemed to have left. Once again he raised his wand to deliver the killing curse, but before the stream of light could leave his wand he disappeared.

Harry blinked not entirely sure what he had seen. They must have passed through the wards, he thought with immense relief.

His relief was short lived because at the moment he remembered that they were careening straight toward the ground of the backyard. The bike was stuttering and Hagrid was doing his best but nothing could save the heap of metal now.

Harry shouted '_wingardium leviosa'_ which helped to slightly cushion their fall but the impact still knocked the wind out of him. Hagrid landed a few feet away with an extremely loud thud. Harry would have been concerned but the giant's grumblings let him know that he was merely shaken and otherwise fine.

"Quick, Hagrid, we have to get inside." Harry limped over to one of his oldest friends and together they made their way inside.

A kind friendly-looking man greeted them and closed the door behind them.

"Uh, hello," Harry greeted nervously. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye a shadow moved along the wall. A woman with long dark hair rippling down her back emerged and for one panic stricken moment Harry thought he had been ambushed.

He drew his wand quickly and aimed it at the woman. "You!" he hissed, glaring and preparing to utter a hex. The man jumped in front of his wand and put his hands up.

"Hey, that's my wife you're shouting at there," he protested with a slight warning. "I'm Ted Tonks and that is Andromeda, my wife."

Harry looked confused and stared at the other woman who had by now moved into light. He felt sheepish and lowered his wand. "Sorry, you caught me off guard."

She smiled and he now realized that, though she did bear a striking resemblance to her sister Bellatrix, she was by far softer and her features were less pronounced. Her hair was a dark brown instead of black and her eyes held compassion in them instead of madness.

"It's alright," she said in a low voice, "People often mistake me for my sister."

Harry gave a sympathetic shudder and grinned. "Well, the mistakes are short lived I'm sure. You are by far prettier," he said smiling and blushing.

Ted rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. "Yes, I am most fortunate man. Now, if you don't mind young man we must get you and your friend to the portkey. It leaves in about one minute," he said seriously, beckoning them with a curved finger.

Harry and Hagrid followed the couple to a back bedroom where a large hairbrush was placed on top of cleared off desk. He turned to them with a solemn look. "I don't know what happened to Tonks but I'll be sure and send word when I find out. Don't worry," he added as the brush started to glow a bright blue.

Both he and Hagrid touched it at the same time and with a jerk, the world around them blurred. Shaking slightly, the looked around and saw they were now in the back yard of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley ran out very relieved by the sight of him.

"Oh Harry! Thank Merlin! You're the first one back so far," she gasped from running so hard to him.

He frowned as Hagrid lumbered inside. "No one else is back?" That didn't sound right.

"Elphias and George missed their portkey," she whispered fearfully, "I arrived without them about five minutes before you did."

Harry laid a reassuring hand on her back. "They'll be fine, Mrs. Weasley. They will get back without it, I'm sure." His voice did not betray him for inside he was shaking with fear. What if they were dead? He sat heavily on the couch and could do nothing but wait.

A loud sound in the back made him jump up and run out. With relief he noted that it was Bill and Fleur. Bill hugged his parents and Harry and they rushed them both back inside. Bill took a large gulp of firewhiskey before turning to them with a solemn look on his handsome face.

"I saw Mad-Eye fall," he said simply, expelling a breath.

Harry was stunned. "What—what happened?" he choked out.

Bill's face was grim. "They acted exactly as Mad-Eye said they would. They assumed that Harry would be with him and they went after him full force. He lasted for a few minutes but then a curse knocked him off the broom and he fell. There was no way he survived at that height," he added sorrowfully at Harry's face.

"What about Mundungus?"

Bill eyes darkened. "Him," he spat, "He flew off after the Deatheaters realized that he wasn't Harry. He's probably long gone by now."

Harry couldn't believe it. Moody was gone. He would never see his gnarled face again, hear his gruff voice telling him to always be alert. He shook his head and couldn't help but feel that another death was on his head.

Another loud _thunk_ in the backyard along with the sounds of someone breaching their wards drew all their attentions and they leapt up, wands at the ready.

The loud noise was Charlie and Ron landing with their portkey. They too had their wands drawn at whoever had broken through the wards. Everyone sagged with relief when they saw it was Tonks and Fred and… another person.

Harry squinted until he could make out who it was.

"Professor Lupin?" he asked in a shocked voice.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione finally gave up trying to sleep. There was only so much punishment a person could take in one night. She figured she'd space it out and continue it the following night.

Her eyes opened in the darkness and she could make out Sirius' dark form in a chair by a dying fire. It must be close to dawn, she figured, sitting up quietly. He didn't give any indication that he heard her, but she knew that he did.

She took this opportunity to study him. His long black hair fell carelessly around his face and shoulders. A few tendrils were highlighted in the amber glow. Her eyes left his hair and traveled down the slope of his shoulders. They weren't the shoulders of a defeated man, but they did scream of a wasted lifetime.

They rest was shielded from view by the chair. All except his long black clad legs bent toward the fire.

Sirius had always seemed dangerous to her. She had known, no matter what Harry might wish to believe, that Ahzkaban had left deep mental scars on him, the kind that don't just go away. She wondered just how alike his cousin Bellatrix he was. She would stake her life on the fact that if the right person pushed the wrong button, Sirius would maim and torture with as much depravity and glee as that bitch. Peter Pettigrew for example.

The only difference would be how much pushing it would actually take.

Despite his obvious dangerous aura, she had never really been afraid of him. She had looked at him as one would look at a dog that had been kicked too many times in its life. He just needed love and patience and to be surrounded by his friends. The ones who were still alive anyway.

So many times, before he had horribly messed up her entire life, she had wanted to just…well, pet him as one would do to comfort an animal. Stroke his hair and face and lull him to sleep. She supposed that he struck her that way because he had lived in his animagus form for so long. He had adopted some canine characteristics while in Ahzkaban and they probably would never go away. Fortunately, those traits suited him just fine.

She wondered for a moment if she and Remus were still the only ones who knew of the nightmares that plagued him every night.

His voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Do I meet with your approval?"

"Hardly," she replied coldly. He didn't respond or answer in any way, just continued to sit there and brood.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Why are you here?—the real reason," she added narrowing her eyes at his back.

He sighed and straightened his posture to look at her. His blue (grey?) eyes were unreadable. He stood up and dragged his chair over to the bed to sit closer to her.

"First off, Remus and I wanted you to know how terribly sorry we are. We never meant for you to be involved in this," he said apologetically, looking at her straight-forwardly.

Her anger was rising again at his words. How dare he apologize to her! As if that could ever be enough for what he has done. Her look more than conveyed her response to his comments and so he hurried on.

"It's complicated—to put it simply…I'm a spy for the Order. Remus was as well. Voldemort had alluded to us that when he attacked Hogwarts, he was going to order his Deatheaters to capture students. Kingsley strongly suggested that Remus and I should request to take the Deatheater's places. It would show Voldemort early on how committed we were to leaving the Order...well, me at least. He knew Remus didn't want to join him. Kingsley told me just before they attacked the school to go and make our request to him. Remus stayed behind with the Order and we met up at the school."

She held up a hand and closed her eyes. "Do you mean to tell me that Kingsley Shacklebolt orchestrated this entire thing? That this is nothing more than an elaborate attempt to plant more spies within Voldemort's inner circle? I don't believe you,' she spat, "Dumbledore would have never-,"

He interrupted her harshly. "By that time Dumbledore was dead. He had nothing to do with this believe me. I know he would never have sanctioned something this terrible."

She widened her eyes. "Then why the hell did you two do it? You knew what would happen," she accused. "All those girls up there getting raped and tortured everyday," she shook her head still not understanding. "I've actually had it easier than the rest of them. At least I only had one man to deal with." She glared at him again.

"I still don't get it."

He inhaled deeply once more to steady himself. "It happened so quickly, Hermione. Remus had been lying to Voldemort when he told him he would switch sides. He had no intention of actually returning to join him. Voldemort really did have Dora and was going to kill her unless Remus did what he wanted," he added looking at Hermione's face, "Remus agreed and sent her by portkey to America; then he quickly found me."

"We couldn't find Dumbledore that evening anywhere, so we went to Kingsley to let him know of the situation. He told Remus to go back to Voldemort and to bring me with him. I was supposed to act as a spy, carrying information back and forth to the Order. He said he would work it out with Dumbledore later and if they had to they would extricate us. Sadly, we found out that Dumbledore had died in the tower that night." He looked morosely sown into his glass and took another gulp. His thumbs moved in circles along the outside of the glass.

"What about the students?" she asked interrupting his pity-party.

"Voldemort had already assigned his men to capture some hostages, but he agreed to let us do it instead. He laughed and said that we knew our fate should we fail. He was most impressed that we had managed to capture so many," he added bitterly, not meeting her eyes.

"I bet he was," she responded with disdain. "I still don't see how Kingsley, Remus, and you could be so cold-hearted."

He looked up, a slight flaring of fire in his eyes before it quickly died down. "I told Remus to gather as many underage as he could because I knew that no Deatheater would rape younger children. That's why the majority of the students were younger boys. I even moved about the castle trying to find Harry and you and Ron. I managed to find Ron and block the killing curse for him a few times before he stunned the Deatheater he was fighting. I moved on to find you but you were already being dragged out of the castle. Everything was completely fucked right then and I didn't know what to do." He left out the part where he had come around the corner just in time to see Kingsley stun her in the back.

"I had just heard that Dumbledore was dead and I was supposed to be pretending to betray my friends and my godson and become a spy. Should I rescue you and blow my cover, thereby placing Remus in grave danger as well as Tonk's and the baby? Or do I keep up pretenses until I can sort everything out with Kingsley? I'm really sorry but I just didn't know what to do at the time," he finished, throwing himself back in his chair and glancing away.

She stared at him for a moment not knowing what to say. There was no way she was forgiving him or Kingsley or Remus for what had happened to her. She knew exactly what she was going to do to Kingsley when she saw him next. Finding her voice she asked, "Why didn't you just go to another Order member like Moody and check with him to make sure you were doing the right thing?"

"You have to understand that everything I told you literally happened the same day, within hours of each other. Kingsley also told us that there was the possibility of a spy within our ranks and that for now everything was to be kept quiet. If you haven't guessed already, he's the new leader of the Order," he said without humor. "I wasn't sure who to trust right then and Remus had already left."

She grimaced in distaste. "Kingsley is the last person who should be leading us. I would have thought that Mad-Eye would have been elected."

He shrugged again. "Everyone thought that too, but Moody declined leadership saying that Kingsley had better connections and people skills. He knows what happens in the Ministry before most of us do."

He hesitated before asking another question. "Have you and Kingsley had a falling out? A fight perhaps?"

She shook her head. "We have never liked each other but nothing has really happened out of the ordinary lately. I find his advice to be unsound and some of his plans to be reprehensible," her face darkened, "I find that I was right after all," she said coldly.

"How could everyone leave us here and follow that bastard after knowing what he has done?"

He looked up at her expressionless. "Nobody else knows, Hermione. I mean they know you are here along with the others, but all of their plans so far have been thwarted. I cannot speak of the location of your whereabouts and no one but me and Remus knows that it was Kingsley who orchestrated all of this. But," he said his face lighting up for an instant, "now that Remus is back I'm sure he will have more to explain."

That caught her attention and her original question died on her lips. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Dora showed up at the last meeting to everyone's shock. We haven't heard from her since he sent her America. He used a portkey and sent her to a well-protected house with a note barely explaining anything. Needless to say she was very angry when we saw her," he reminisced smiling. He stopped when he saw Hermione's scowl. "That was all Remus needed to get the hell out of here."

"So she didn't know that her husband used the trust that he had gained as a Hogwarts professor to lure over twenty students to Voldemort's headquarters? All to save her," she spat bitterly, crossing her arms.

Sirius narrowed his gaze on her. "Be careful Hermione or else one might think you're bitterly jealous."

She her face flushed with mortification but before she could defend herself, he continued.

"And to answer you question, no, she didn't. Tonks would rather have died than have others suffer in her place. But, I'm thinking that he will tell her as soon as he can choke out the words. Also remember that if we hadn't gone in the place of _Dolohov_ and _Rabastan_," he stressed those names for her benefit, "that many more girls would have been taken and even more harmed or injured. Yes, there are seven on the fifth floor now, but there would have been twelve or fifteen or even twenty."

She shuddered at the thought of Rabastan and Dolohov rounding up girls like cattle to be raped and tortured later. "He could have not taken any at all."

He rolled his eyes impatiently and stared at her. "Hermione, if he had done that Voldemort would seen what he was trying to do and next time he would have planned a raid and specifically taken girls to be used by his followers. He's spiteful and cruel like that."

She looked away from him, still angry. She would never see his side.

Neither spoke for a very long time. The sky went from black to grey to pale blue and still they sat there.

"Where do your loyalties truly lie, Sirius?"

He looked at her angry but resigned. "I know that you will never trust me again but you must believe that my loyalties are only ever with Harry and the Order. I know that he will probably never speak to me again but my feelings for him will never change." He cleared his throat for a moment and she glanced at him.

If he expected her to feel sorry for him he was going to be in for a rude shock. All his story had done for the moment was to fuel her anger toward yet another member of the Order, though now she had decided who was ultimately responsible in her opinion. Everything made more sense now that she knew Kingsley had thought this plan up. Once she escaped he was going to pay, she thought maliciously.

That led her to the question she had been waiting weeks to ask. "What if I told you I had a plan to escape with the other girls?" She looked at him carefully.

He looked interested. "What is it? I've been thinking myself about a few possibilities, but let's hear your first."

She hadn't expected such open enthusiasm on his part. She had expected him to be cautious and untrustworthy and self-serving. She rebounded quickly. "Well, only my _master_ can remove _my_ slave gauntlets so that's where you come in, but the other girls' can be removed by anybody with a wand who knows the spell—which I don't. I guess they are just a status symbol and a way to stop us from using magic." She was not going to tell him that she could do wandless magic until she knew without a doubt that he could be trusted.

He nodded, confirming her beliefs.

"Well, I have spent two months thinking about it and I was waiting for a chance to talk to you and Remus because I will need help. Wherever we go while wearing the bracelets they will track us, and even if you were to take them off we would still need a way out of the manor. Only two girls know how to apparate, but I know they don't know of a safe place protected by the Order to go to." She took a deep breath. "I was thinking of using a portkey. After we get out, the Order could help reunite them with their families and leave the country."

He smiled at her, though it wasn't one of his rare carefree smiles; it was his usual tired, worn out smile. "I was thinking the same thing. Maybe another of my family's ancestral homes—one that Narcissa and Bellatrix don't have access to--should do since the Burrow has become the new Order headquarters. Snape," he said bitterly, getting up to pour another drink.

She understood. It was no longer safe to be at 12 Grimmauld Place now that Snape had proven to be a traitor. Sometimes though something in the back of her mind niggled at her when she thought about him. It just didn't set right with her. Snape's betrayal seemed too expected and convenient. He had always been the main suspect that everybody had put blame on and yet it always turned out that he had nothing to do with any of their troubles. With if this time was no different?

But then Dumbledore had probably trusted Kingsley too, she reasoned bitterly. None of this would have happened had Dumbledore not died. Kingsley wouldn't have dared to suggest such a scheme. Something else would have been planned, some other way would have been found to insinuate the two men closer to Voldemort—and at the same time head off the capture of the students.

A member of the Order was supposed to obey the leader--that was the point of having a leader in the first place. You always had a choice in the missions you accepted, but usually even if you didn't want to do something it was done anyway. You put the cause above your own personal beliefs—up to a point. Only the leader had all the information and if he was asking you to do something it was always to benefit their side.

With Dumbledore anyway. Kingsley obviously felt the need to take a more drastic approach.

It irritated her to no end that she hadn't been able to persuade others to her way of thinking. They all saw Kingsley as some sort of beacon of hope or something. They always just 'shushed' her whenever she had tentatively brought up his name. Nothing had made her angrier because she knew she was right about him. She just never dreamed of anything like this happening.

Harry trusted her, no questions asked, and more than once they gone against Kingsley's way of thinking. She knew it had irritated him that Harry was not as easily controlled as he wanted him to be, but as long as Dumbledore had been alive it hadn't mattered.

As long as Dumbledore had been alive, she repeated to herself. She felt cold as she wondered what else Kingsley was manipulating the Order into doing. If he would sanction this, he would sanction anything.

She shook herself out of her depressing thoughts and moved on to other more useful lines of thinking. "So how do we work out the kinks in the plan? I mean are you going to stay here and continue to spy? Because if you are we need to think of a way to escape that will allow nothing to be traced back to you."

He regarded her question for a moment. "I honestly don't know. Would you be willing to give me a few days?" he asked politely. He needed more time to decide if he was going to tell her about Kingsley's betrayal before she left. And whether he told her or not, who would protect her from him when she went home? There was no way he would leave her again.

She thought for a moment and studied his face. Was he stalling? Could she trust him?

He was about to open his mouth to say something but she beat him to it. "That will fine. I don't want to rush into anything either. And as long as I'm with you instead of Lucius things will easier- I think." She eyed him warily.

He rolled his eyes, trying to make her fears seem unfounded. "Of course they will be, Hermione. I already told you I would never hurt you that way, unless…," he hesitated and mentally berated himself for not stopping when he could have.

"Unless what?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I mean, there might be situations in the future where we possibly would have to act as though I really am mistreating you. Like, in public," he finished clearing his throat and daring a glance at her.

She heaved a sigh and gave him another of her usual nasty glares, pointedly letting him know just who she blamed for ruining her life at the moment. "Whatever I have to do to stay safe until I escape I will. I don't care. I still hate you, but as long as you don't try and take advantage of me more than necessary, I won't loathe you for all eternity." She finished with a sickly sweet smile and threw back the covers in irritation.

Sirius watched her get out of bed and make her way to the bathroom and he felt himself growing steadily annoyed with her. He knew he deserved everything, but it still didn't make it any easier to take. Especially with his infamous temper.

Luckily, he had spent the last 17 years beating himself up and telling himself what a worthless piece of shit he was, that he almost didn't notice it when somebody else did it.

He supposed that one of the reasons that Kingsley had wanted him to go along with Remus was because he had free time. Loads of it. He would be more likely to become accepted than Remus, and he was the only Order member that lazed around the house all day. He hadn't left since his return form the Veil, and before that he had only left once. And of course he had promptly died.

Isn't life a bitch?

Death as it turns out, for him at least, was an even bigger bitch. He sometimes wondered if he had been truly dead while behind the Veil. It hadn't felt like it. He had had his body and all of his senses and memories while in that horrible place. Dead people don't have those do they? He didn't know.

All he knew—correction—all he wanted to focus on at the moment was getting Hermione out of here and then making sure she stayed safe. He knew without a doubt—hindsight being 20/20—that he should have saved Hermione from that Deatheater and then stunned Kingsley before he could get away.

Too many things had been running through his head at the time making it almost impossible to make a decision. Remus, Hermione, betrayal, Kingsley, Harry, shock, Voldemort, everything. It was humiliating, but his mind had a tendency to play tricks on him nowadays. He hadn't told anybody yet, but he didn't know how much longer he keep it up on his own. He was a weak and pathetic old man and was probably of more use dead or behind the Veil again.

Hermione had saved him from the Veil. It had been Harry that had led him out but Hermione had found or invented the spell that had made it possible. She had also been the one to save him from the Dementor's Kiss the year he had escaped prison.

Twice she had helped him cheat death and in the end he had been too stupid to save her from this fate. He bitterly swallowed the bile that came up whenever he though about it. Sometimes he closed his eyes and wondered why he couldn't just die a normal death, a coward's death. Peaceful, giving no trouble and ensuring that this time he couldn't be brought back.

Painful, twisted memories taunted him, making his chest feel like it couldn't get enough air. He needed a drink and he quickly turned and poured himself another one.

Hermione frowned when she came out of the bathroom and saw him tilting another glass of firewhiskey to his lips. "Sirius, haven't you had enough? You've been drinking all night."

He stopped and shot her a very irritated look before downing the soothing liquid. The soothing, beautiful, burning liquid that made all of the past seventeen years seem farther away from his mind. He was never without it. The dulling effects of alcohol seemed to keep the pain and jumble at bay. He briefly wondered if there was a potion or something that could do the same. Maybe then people would stop looking at him like he was a drunk.

Ignoring her remark completely, he decided that he should change out of his clothes and into some cleaner ones. He glanced at her and remembered that she was still wearing his shirt from the previous night.

_She looks so beautiful_, he thought wistfully for an instant before suddenly remembering who _he_ was and who _she_ was. All this time he had barely spared any women a second glance. He hadn't had much of a sex drive and the depression and being dead hadn't helped matters any. Hermione was the first girl to catch his attention in almost two decades (Merlin, he was old). Granted he hadn't felt any sort of lascivious inclinations toward her until she had been thrown half-naked in his face, but that didn't make him feel any better about himself.

Just one more strike against him—a dirty, old, lecherous bastard.

He was feeling worse by the minute, but thankfully the firewhiskey kicked in and at the same time she cleared her throat.

He actually almost blushed when he looked into her eyes. He had been caught staring at her. What a pansy school girl he was, almost blushing like that. Never in his life had he ever blushed and certainly not over something as harmless as giving a gorgeous female a once over. Who was in _his_ room.

_Only because she's forced to be_, his inner voice reminded him. _And it's all your fault._

Aargh! He strode over to his wardrobe and tossed out some everyday robes to change into.

He cleared his throat.

"Um, when do you want to get dressed?" he asked her, not meeting her eyes while he picked up his clothes and started toward the bathroom.

"Well, getting dressed requires actual clothes," she scorned looking at the offensive material draped over a chair. "I don't think that horrible slut-uniform applies. But, you're right. I am far to covered up in this nice long shirt that comes almost to my knees. Whenever you're done dressing yourself respectably I would be more than happy to have you assist me in my pain and degradation. _Master_."

She smiled and relished her new freedom to take her bad moods out on someone else. She hadn't been able to do it for two months.

He just stared at her, feeling guiltier and worse than he had been feeling earlier. "I didn't mean anything. I just thought that you would want to go see your friends upstairs. You can't leave in that," he pointed out. A sudden thought dawned on him. "Although you know, since you belong to me now--," that earned him another pointed glare, "you are allowed to dress in whatever I wish you dress in. Would you like to wear something more covered up?"

She was surprised again. Maybe he did care about her a little. He wasn't acting like the rest of them had been. They loved it when she had walked around practically naked. It was degrading.

She was curious. "Won't you get into trouble? Voldemort might think you're soft if you let me wear clothes."

He swallowed. "I have an idea," he began and walked toward her.

_Five minutes later_

"Absolutely not!" she said firmly looking at her new 'uniform'. "Never—take it off."

"Hermione, at least it covers more skin than the last one did."

"I don't care. This is embarrassing!"

He sighed and raised his wand again, but just then a knock sounded on his door. Hermione jumped and her heart started thumping harder.

It was just Draco. He just gaped at Hermione while stood there waiting for him to speak.

Hermione quickly remembered that Draco was not to be entirely trusted and she lowered her eyes to the floor.

Sirius loudly cleared his throat. "Yes, Malfoy? What do you need?"

Draco shook himself and let his mask of indifference fall once again over his face. "I have been ordered to bring you to the Dark Lord. Both of you," he added indifferently looking at Sirius.

He nodded slowly and quickly waved his wand to fix Hermione's hair. Thankfully, he styled it into a normal up do, with half of her hair hanging down over her shoulders.

She was instantly terrified of what Voldemort wanted now. All the memories of the previous night came flooding back and her throat went dry. Sirius stepped into her line of vision for a moment and caught her eye.

He tried to convey some sort of reassurance to her but it didn't help. As the three of them left the room, he remembered that he hadn't changed yet. Oh well, he thought resignedly. Voldemort was probably too irate over Remus' disappearance that he wouldn't even notice if he entered into his presence looking less than pristine.

He pointed his wand at Hermione and ordered her to walk in front. He kept his tone neutral so that the boy wouldn't get suspicious and tried to keep his eyes off her ass. He noticed Draco didn't even try to refrain from openly staring. Hermione was going to be mad at him when they returned to his room later, he thought.

He was wrong. Hermione was furious. Her outfit was not appealing in anyway. Sirius had decided to put her in a Hogwarts uniform, with several modifications added. Her white top was tight and buttoned down to just above her navel. It had capped sleeves and her cleavage was showing, though to give him credit it wasn't showing too much. Thankfully, he had transfigured a gold and maroon necktie for her to wear. It just hung over cleavage, hiding it form view.

The skirt was way shorter than the real uniform and she wore white stockings and black buckle shoes. Every time she took a step the skirt bounced and she was sure she was showing something off. Thankfully she had white underwear on as well.

She was going to kill Sirius if she ever got out of this place. Damn it, she could feel eyes on her back (or ass) and it unnerved her. Hopefully they wouldn't run into anyone on their way.

She took more calming breaths when she realized that Draco was bringing them to the same place that she had just seen her parents murdered in. Was he going to torture her some more? Would he ask more questions of her and do the things he had threatened to do?

Draco brushed past her and opened the door to lead them in. Her stomach plummeted when she looked around and saw that room had others in it also. Her insides churned as the three of them walked forward to where Voldemort was sitting.

Hermione walked behind Sirius and when he stopped he told her to bow under his breath. Jeez, the floor was cold and hard her knees. She was sure that her frilly underwear was peeking out for everyone in the room to see. Her face turned pink and she was glad for once that it was pointed to the ground.

"I don't think that uniform is regulation, Sirius." Voldemort sneered and everyone now felt it safe to jeer and chuckle their mirth at Hermione's attire.

"Yes, I'm sure that school would have been a lot for interesting for all of us had it been so, milord," Sirius politely returned, with his head bowed still.

"Tell me, how did you like your new slave?"

Sirius smirked and looked up. "She served me very well, milord. I only had to punish her once."

"Oh really? What did she do?" Voldemort's tone was still mildly inquisitive, but Sirius knew that they hadn't been brought all the way down here to chit-chat about whatever sex he did—or in his case—did not get last night.

Sirius kept his tone neutral. "Oh, nothing really, milord, she just wouldn't shut up as usual. I merely put her mouth to better use. It seemed to work and she managed to do my bidding with more haste for the rest of the night." He smirked again down at her, inwardly to his chagrin wishing that his lie were true.

Voldemort chuckled. "Yes, I have heard of the mudblood's delightful expertise in that area. Perhaps I will have to find out for myself," he laughed and cruelly looked for the reaction from the girl.

She managed to keep silent except for one tiny, strangling, choked noise coming from her throat.

Everyone laughed at her odd noise of distress.

"No, don't worry mudblood. I shall leave you alone-- for now. You may rise," he added flicking a finger in her direction.

She stood up and made sure her skirt was covering her rear and then respectfully averted her eyes to the floor.

"And you mudblood, how are you liking your new arrangement? I hope Sirius is putting you to proper use."

"Yes, milord," she chanted monotonously.

"Miss the Malfoy's at all?"

Her face screwed up in distaste. "No," she spat, trying really hard to keep her tone under control. Quickly she added, "Not that my new master is any better."

"Oh come now. Not even Draco? He's your age is he not? He couldn't have been as bad as Lucius?"

What did any of this matter? "No, milord, he wasn't as bad. But, he can't be blamed for that, after all his father has been an arrogant bastard for longer. I'm sure that given time and practice Draco will turn out to be just as big of a jerk, milord."

Voldemort seemed amused. "You think so? Hmmm, maybe." He clapped his hands together and smiled his evil smile. "Well, as amusing as this has been let's get down to business shall we?"

He turned his gaze on Sirius who did not flinch. Hermione however was nervous and she tried to will her heart to beat at a normal pace. She also remembered to put up her mental defenses should he try and breach her mind.

"Now, Sirius Black. You have fifteen seconds to give me a reason as to why I shouldn't curse you 'til your brains leak out and then end your life immediately."

This was _almost_ unexpected—and for the life of him he couldn't think of any reason to spare his miserable existence.

"Fourteen, thirteen…"

Oh, yeah, Hermione.

**A/N- Well, a cliffie. I had to cut it off here because it was getting too long. The next scene will fit nicely into what I have planned for the next chapter. Also--Minor, minor HG and SB interaction at a Deatheater party. Nothing unrealistic and nothing really sexual yet. **


	11. Torture and Revel

**Disclaimer: I own nothing…still.**

**A/N— This chapter is longer than the others because I wanted to get multiple things covered in it. Snape's character might not be up to par in this chapter, but I really just wanted to bring him into more and then focus on him later.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy—oh, and I bumped the interaction between SB and HG just because I thought it would be more realistic. ******

_Fourteen, thirteen…_

It only took Sirius a second, after remembering Hermione, to speak. He didn't hesitate and spoke in a clear, strong voice.

"I have proved to be a useful spy to you, milord. Also, the number of pureblood witches and wizards has dwindled considerably within the past few years due to the war. Should I die, the Black family line will die as well. My brother is dead and my cousins are all females, only one of which has proven capable of producing _suitable_ offspring."

A hiss of outrage from, Hermione could only guess Bellatrix, immediately followed Sirius' rather monotonous speech. Out of the corner of her eye she could see someone, probably Rodolphus, physically restraining her from marching over to him and ripping his throat out. His rather blunt information surprised her. She had always assumed that Deatheater activities and then a long incarceration had prevented Bellatrix from having children, but it now seemed that her assumptions were inaccurate.

Voldemort never took his calculating gaze off of Sirius. The hall was silent—no one was entirely sure what the Dark Lord would do. His lips curved into a cold smile finally and he began to carelessly toy with his wand.

"Everything you say is true, Sirius. At least for the time being. You are the only one who is in the position right now to spy for me. But of course, I hardly trust you…I would be a fool to do so." He rose form his chair slowly and Hermione held her breath, tensing for any curse that might come her way.

"It is also true that the Black family is important to me as it has given me many loyal followers through the years," he didn't have to look at Bella to know that she was flushed with pride at his statement. He figured Lucius would be too considering his wife was a Black. Like sheep, he smiled. Like sheep so easily led.

"The Black family has remained faithful to me since my youth. That is perhaps the main reason I will be keeping you alive, Sirius. I wish you to marry and begin producing heirs as quickly as possible. I also think that sometime very soon, Bellatrix might wish to pay her long lost sister a visit."

Bellatrix's lips curved into a malicious grin and she danced impatiently.

Voldemort held up a hand. "Not yet, Bella, but soon. Andromeda, though a muggle-loving, bloodtraitor whore, is still first and foremost a Black. I wish her capture so that she may be given to one of my faithful followers in marriage, after of course you relieve her of her present husband. Maybe Rabastan? Or perhaps, Goyle," he smiled.

Rabastan seemed the more practical choice given that the Lestrange line was also close to dying out. Goyle was not as deserving of such a gift, though it might do that family some good to get offspring with half a brain.

Voldemort didn't miss Hermione's visible stiffening at the mention of his plans for her friend's mother. He delighted in taking this opportunity to pay special attention to her. He desperately wanted to torture someone this morning.

"Ah, mudblood, you disapprove of my intentions toward Andromeda Black?"

She could feel the magic coursing through her telling her the right words to say, the one's that would keep her unharmed and alive. But, ever since she had so callously let her parents die she had developed suspicion and dislike for the dark magic inside her. It scared her and for the first time in two months she wanted to be rid of it.

Had it made her kill her parents or did she do that on her own?

She ignored the feelings that were beginning to take over her, shoving them aside harshly, and instead looked Voldemort in the eye. "Yes, milord."

He smiled at her, as if she had finally given him what he wanted, and the room visibly shifted in anticipation. Sirius looked at her sharply but stayed silent.

"Well, slave would you care to enlighten the room as to why you dislike the thought of that whore taking her rightful place in my service?" He walked in slow circles around her waiting for her answer.

She knew was going to be tortured but she was so angry she didn't care. It seemed as if the memories of her parents were becoming clearer in her mind with every second that passed. It was driving her crazy.

"First of all her name is Andromeda _Tonks_. And secondly, I just think that she's too good for anyone who would _choose_ to serve you…milord," she stated, her eyes flashing to his angrily.

Voldemort shook his head in mock disappointment. "Sirius, I'm disappointed. Your slave does indeed need a lesson in respect for her superiors."

"Yes, milord, I shall take of it as soon as you have no further need of me." He replied in a calm voice, but inside he was furious. What the hell was she doing? Did she want him to be forced to torture her?

"No, I want you to take care of it now. After all, we have gathered here this morning. I think it's only fitting that somebody gets tortured. Unless, you wish it to be you?"

Sirius was so close to actually shouting at Voldemort to hurt him instead, but he knew that would only make things much worse for both of them. "Of course not, milord. As I have said before, the slave's mouth is difficult to silence. I had thought that last nights activities would have taught her a lesson," he said with an angry gaze boring down at her, willing her silently to keep her mouth shut.

She furiously met his gaze without flinching, suddenly not in control of herself anymore. She couldn't restrain herself from unleashing some part of what she had been keeping inside for so long.

"A disgusting, bastard, traitor like you will never be able to teach me anything," she snapped, her cheeks flaming in anger. "It shouldn't surprise me that you're a two-faced rat. You were born disloyal. Your own parents couldn't stand the sight of you and disowned your sorry ass. Now here you are alone with no family and no friends," she taunted recklessly, paying no heed to his darkening face or his ice blue eyes that were slowly clouding over. "You should spend more time getting reacquainted with Wormtail. You traitors have so much in common."

And to top off her rant she spat at his feet ending her tirade.

He felt his control slipping and the rage boiled up inside him. Every word that spewed form her mouth was like a knife plunging into him. How dare she speak to him this way? His vision blurred and he saw a blood red haze surrounding everything but her. Even if her words had not enraged him he still would have been forced to punish her for speaking to him that way in public. However, there was no mistake in anyone's mind that he meant what he was about to do and he meant it to hurt badly.

Like lightening he whipped out his wand and sent a jet of red light to her chest that sent her to the floor. Agonizing pain ripped through her body, arching her back and seizing every muscle in one long excruciatingly painful spasm.

A long, unearthly scream was ripped from her throat. It echoed off the walls and most everyone looked satisfied that someone had finally made the mudblood scream. Bellatrix was laughing gleefully beside her husband, who merely stood there watching the proceedings with stony face.

All Sirius knew at the moment was his rage that had completely taken over him.

He didn't notice when her screams died down to a hoarse cry.

Or when blood trickled from her nose in a thin scarlet stream and the distinct sound of bones breaking could be heard.

A cold, hissing voice beside him finally shook him out of it.

"That is enough, Sirius. You have done well, however I wish her to stay alive for now."

Sirius stared down in numb horror at the contorted form of the semi-conscious, bleeding girl at his feet. What had he just done? He almost threw his wand form his body as if it had burned him. God's above, he almost killed her.

Hermione felt the blessed release from her pain and wearily opened her eyes. Brown clashed with dark grey. She could not move any part of her body but she found strength enough for a few words.

"You will fucking pay for that," she mumbled, groaning into the stone floor.

The blood from her nose was dripping and mingling with the tiny specks of dirt beneath her face. Tremors wracked her body each jolt feeling like a quick stab pain of her spine. Coughing and heaving, the voices of Voldemort and Sirius sounded like distant buzzing in her head. She could only make out the words 'Remus' and 'wife'.

She looked over for a moment and locked eyes with a familiar set of glittering black ones. For some reason she didn't look immediately away and then it was too late. He held her gaze and immediately began probing her mind. He was a skilled legilimens, she admitted. Far more skilled than she was at occlumency.

He would know everything now. Her plan for escape, the truth about Sirius (that rat bastard), what happened with Draco and Lucius, and much more. What would he do with these priceless pieces of valuable information? Turn them over to his master?

Another thought gripped her before she could wipe it from her mind. His eyes widened a fraction for a moment before settling back into their cold, unfeeling mask.

Had he seen Griselda perform that spell? Did he know she could now do wandless magic?

The hissing voice of Voldemort broke Snape's concentration and freed her from his grip. She closed her eyes and listened to what he was saying.

"If I find out you are lying to me about the werewolf it will not bode well for you, Sirius."

Sirius bowed his head. "Yes, milord."

"Next time there is a meeting with the Order you will find out where that piece of filth is hiding, along with his bitch and pup. He will suffer my wrath tenfold and he will die with screams of his family in his ears," the Dark Lord said with cold malice.

As much as Hermione hated Remus, she did not want to see him and his family tortured and killed. A sense of desperation overtook her as she tried to sit up but her movement brought on another spasm.

Blood welled up in her throat and she choked and gagged as she coughed it up onto the floor. That wasn't a good sign, she thought distantly, slumping back onto the cold stone.

"Severus, take Potter's mudblood whore and make sure she lives. I want her alive for tomorrow night's festivities. We shall be celebrating the death of the auror Alistair Moody."

His words slightly penetrated the blurriness of her mind but her reaction time was slow. Moody was dead? She heard heels clicking on the stone, coming closer to her head and felt herself being lifted into the air. As she passed Sirius he couldn't meet her eyes and she smirked weakly at him.

"Coward," she murmured at his back before mercifully losing consciousness.

XXXXXXXXXXX

After he was dismissed, Sirius numbly walked back to his room and shut the door. He couldn't believe he had just tortured Hermione Granger. Why had he allowed her words to affect him so? Why hadn't he just kept his temper?

He had never before hurt somebody like that. He had never tortured a person until their orifices trickled blood and they screamed their voices hoarse. Especially not a defenseless child.

How could he ever face her again? How could he ever earn her trust?

He couldn't. He unscrewed a full bottle of firewhiskey and eyed the same chair he had just vacated earlier. He dragged it back to the fireplace and sat, tipping the bottle up at an angle and let the burning liquid sear a trail down his throat and to his belly.

Ah, this was familiar. This was comfortable.

A horrible, hated tear slid down his wretched face making him angrier and more eager to numb himself.

He slumped down in his chair and buried his head in his hands with the bottle sitting at his feet.

He couldn't wait to be free of this cursed place. No matter what Hermione thought of him now he would never leave her until he knew she would be safe. He would never stop protecting her.

He only hoped that he could protect her from himself as well. So far he hadn't done a very good job.

XXXXXXXXXX

"As usual Miss Granger, you have acted rashly and foolishly," intoned a low voice from above her.

Her eyes fluttered open and she felt the same sheet draped over her naked form as before.

"How many people in this blasted place are going to see me naked?" she grumbled, still only half awake. She struggled to move but gave up when all she was met with was pain.

"I assure you, Miss Granger that I have no wish to keep repeatedly seeing you naked. However, since you still seem incapable of harnessing your tongue it would seem we have many more fun times ahead of us." Snape walked over to his cabinet and grabbed a small vial and handed it to her.

"Drink this. It will help with the pain."

She slowly tilted the bottle up to her mouth and downed the contents in one gulp. It was disgusting but effective. The pain receded and she was able to at least settle up against her pillow better. She remembered to hold the sheet to her chest although she figured modesty was ridiculous now. She winced slightly at the dull pain radiating from her side, guessing that she had broken some ribs.

She eyed him warily as he remained hovering by her bedside. She hadn't forgotten his little stunt with Legilimens as she was bleeding on the floor. What happened now? Was he going to make her satisfy him to keep her secret? She really preferred to think of Snape as a completely asexual being and could hardly imagine him even having a penis.

He smirked at her and leaned lightly against the wall. "Well, you have surprised me this morning. How long have you been able to perform wandless magic while a prisoner here?"

She desperately wanted to lie to him but she knew he was smarter than that. "Since that first night with Lucius." She kept her eyes glued to his in effort to maybe stay one step ahead of whatever he was going to say or do.

"I suppose you know that those have tracking charms on them?" he asked glancing at her gauntlets.

She nodded. "That's why I haven't escaped yet. Sirius is the only one who can remove them besides the Dark Lord so I was told."

He steeped closer to her. "How did you convince her to perform such powerful dark magic on you? Do you know how dangerous this spell can be to you?"

She was puzzled and afraid for a moment. "Why do you care how dangerous it is to me? And by the way, I didn't ask her to do this-- she did it on her own. All I wanted was a simple charm to keep me from crying. She wouldn't tell me why she did it." She remembered their conversation and how Griselda closed up immediately when Hermione asked her.

He looked angry at her and turned his back so that she couldn't see his face.

Hesitantly she asked, "Do you know how to remove it?"

He turned back around and sneered at her. "Yes. Only the person it was cast upon can remove it. The spell acts like a separate entity sometimes, guarding its host and influencing them in whatever way necessary to keep the host safe. Both mentally and physically," he paused, looking at her for a moment.

"Why did you speak out to the Dark Lord today like that? You shouldn't have been able to do that. It wasn't safe."

"I don't know. I felt it telling what to say, but I didn't want to listen to it anymore. I killed my parents last night," she said looking away, "I don't know if I would have been able to do that if it wasn't for It."

"That is why you were able to disregard it this morning. You were thinking of your parents."

She looked up at him confused. "What does that have to do with it?"

He rolled his eyes impatiently. "Because, it is the only way to break the spell. Love," he bit out, glaring and shifting uncomfortably at the mention of the word. "You were feeling that horrid emotion and thinking of them, and the entity faded to the background of your consciousness for those moments."

She raised her eyebrows at this new information. "So it's gone then?"

He glared at her again, presumably for her lack of brains. "No, it has been inside you for too long. It has already come back I'm sure while you were unconscious. The more you open yourself up to…love," he shuddered, "the more you and it will break down until finally _it_ will be gone." He didn't tell her how difficult that was going to be. Love is an emotion that tends to hurt and the spell will definitely be trying to protect her from that.

"Why is it dangerous?"

"I should think that you would already know the answer to that question, Miss Granger. Have you forgotten your dead parents already?" he asked mockingly.

She stared at him coldly. "And are you going to turn me in? Or do you have something else in mind?"

His lips curled into another sneer. "I won't make you pay for my silence with your body if that's what you're insinuating."

"Why not?" she interrupted, looking at him carefully.

He snorted. "Do you think so highly of yourself that it is impossible to believe that I do not desire you?"

She answered him honestly. "No. Griselda really did a number on this body and I know I am beautiful now. But, just because a person is attractive doesn't mean you want to become physical with them. For example, Lucius Malfoy, Avery, the Lestranges, etc.," she grimaced, but then smirked. "I have found that quite a few of the people I hate and have no wish to touch are actually quite attractive."

He regarded her for a moment. His gaze was inscrutable. "Just because I won't rape you doesn't mean that I won't demand something else from you."

Now she was curious and a little bit frightened. "Like what?"

He abruptly turned away. "I know you are going to escape. Knowing your idiotic Gryffindor notions you'll find a way to bring the others with you as well. There is someone else I wish you to take along and hide."

Some things clicked into place with those words and she looked sharply up at him.

"Draco?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Surprisingly, Sirius came to fetch her from Snape's chambers later that day. His eyes were bloodshot and a sneer was pasted on his face as he looked at Snape. His eyes took in Hermione's naked state and Snape leaning closely over her. He disregarded the fact that she was covered by a sheet and glowered at them.

"If you would kindly step away from my slave, Snape, I will be taking her now."

Hermione swallowed the fear and rage that immediately beset her upon laying eyes on the person who had just violently tortured her hours before. She clutched the sheet close to her chest and looked at Sirius.

Snape sneered at him and stepped back. "By all means, Black, take her. Try not to kill her on your way back. Her wounds are still mending and I am running out of potions."

Sirius face grew thunderous and clenched his fists.

Hermione looked at him coldly. "I have to get dressed first."

Sirius eyes finally locked with hers. They held a torrent of anger, guilt, and sorrow within them. His jaw clenched at her disdainful face and he narrowed his gaze on her.

"Well, get dressed then."

She was surprised at him. "Could you look away at least?"

He smirked at her. "Why? You're my slave. I don't really have to do I?" He challenged, letting his eyes remain trained on her as she glared at him.

Why was he such a bastard? Snape rolled his eyes and briskly straightened his robes. "Well, _I _have no wish to see you naked again, Miss Granger. The numerous times over the past two months have been quite enough." He made to move to the door.

"Oh, can't stand being so close to me in all my glory? Hard to feign indifference," she snickered, looking at his taken aback expression. She had no idea where the urge to tease him had come from, but now that she said it she really did think her comment was funny, though she knew it wasn't true.

"Drink this potion before bed and try to keep your mouth shut next time." He glared at her and walked out of the room.

That left just the two of them eyeing each other. Hermione sighed. She should have known that Sirius was going to be just like the rest of them. She winced as she swung her legs around the side of the narrow bed, giving him a full view of her bare back. She could feel his gaze boring into her.

It was a little embarrassing to her that Sirius was going to see her naked, but she remembered that he had seen her breasts before…and he had seen her with her face in the lap of his best friend. She shrugged it off. It wasn't as if she could help it.

She dropped the sheet onto the bed next to her and slowly stood up. Her vision blurred for a moment and she had to steady herself on the wall. Warm hands encircled her arms gently and she looked up into Sirius' slightly unfocused face.

"What are you doing?"

"You almost fainted, Hermione. I didn't want--," he stopped, about to say that he hadn't wanted her to hurt herself, but that would have sounded horrible coming from him.

She glared at him spitefully. "I guess hurting me is your job not mine."

His face grew pained at her statement and his controlled expression slipped a bit. "Hermione, I am so desperately sorry. I couldn't control myself. I didn't know what I was doing. I mean, I had to punish you because otherwise Voldemort would have, but that was—I didn't," he cut himself off and shook his head as if to clear it, running a hand through his dark hair.

"I don't care about your excuses, Sirius. I only want you to help me escape and then to get out of my life forever. Now could you let me go?"

He became aware that he was pressed against her naked body and for a moment he could speak. His pants grew painfully tight and he was so glad that he was wearing robes. Clearing his throat, he backed away and handed her clothes to her. Then he turned to give her privacy.

"Snape didn't try and take advantage of you did he?" he asked tightly.

She snorted and briefly wondered if there was a way to escape without his help. She wanted to kill him really bad. "No, he did not. Apparently not everyone here is a raging lecher. Listen have you decided what you are going to do yet or do you need more time?" she asked impatiently, buttoning her blouse.

He knew what she was referring to and had already made up his mind. "I'm leaving with you. You will need my help to get to the safe house and remain undetected." He heard rustling noise and had to forcibly stop himself from picturing her sliding her skirt up her soft, supple thighs to fasten around her hips.

She inwardly groaned and grew irritated. "Sirius, I have no intention of remaining in your presence longer than necessary. I hate and despise you and I will until I die. As soon as I'm settled I want you to get out of my life. I can correspond with Mr. Weasely or Bill until it is safe." She slowly walked around to face him, making sure that he saw every ounce of her disdain for him. He winced at the force of her emotions pertaining to him and decided it was best to let her think that she had won.

He stayed silent and opened the door, holding his wand out and letting her walk in front of him. Every time she clutched her side his chest tightened horribly. He had cursed her so badly that she had broken two ribs and a wrist. It was his fault she was in pain. All his fault, just like this entire mess.

When they were safe inside his room, Sirius cast the usual charms around the room then turned to Hermione who was looking rather pale. Without saying anything he pointed his wand at her and transfigured her clothes into really comfortable pajamas.

"You need to rest now. Tomorrow night there is a revel to celebrate Moody's death. You'll need all of your strength because I have no idea what goes on at these things. Nothing good I can tell you," he added grimly going back to his bottle.

The same prickling sensations tickled her eyes and she wondered if it was her body trying to cry at the news of the old auror's death. She wanted to ask him how it happened but she was so tired. She climbed into his bed and gently leaned back letting out a breath of air.

"Why were we called to Voldemort? What did he want?" she asked closing her eyes.

He turned. "He found out Remus had left the manor to go back to his wife and the Order. He suspects that I knew and didn't tell him," he joked humorlessly.

She didn't say anything merely let sleep overtake her once again.

XXXXXXXXXX

The night of the revel, she was once again forced to wear her scandalous metal garb. Now that her mind was clear from the pain and the dulling effects of the potion she decided to let Sirius in on her secret. Since Snape knew she figured he might as well know too.

She also knew just how to broach the subject. It was time for a taste of revenge.

He was finishing dressing for the evening when she called his name. He looked up in surprise. She hadn't spoken to him since the previous afternoon.

"Yes?"

She stared icily at him. "Remember how you cursed me until blood started pouring out of my face yesterday?"

He thought she was being a tad dramatic. The blood was trickling, not pouring, but he looked at her guiltily anyway and nodded. "Yes, I know and I am so sorry--,"

She held up a hand to cut him off. "I don't care about your apologies, Sirius. I simply want to know if you remember the part where I told you that you would pay for what you did."

For the first time apprehension flickered over his face and he stood still. "How are you going to do that when you can't perform magic right now? Unless you are going to hex me later?"

She smiled at him. "That is where you are wrong. I _can_ do magic, wandless magic actually. It has to stay a secret and later I will tell you everything, but for now--," she raised a hand and put all of her energy into a very painful Cruciatus curse. She hadn't actually been sure that she would have enough power to use it but judging from his anguished position on the floor, she did.

He didn't scream even though every voice in his head wanted him to. He clamped his lips down and prayed her rage would be over soon. An eternity later it was. Hermione was standing over his shaking form, looking down with a fierce look of hatred on her face. He saw her about to raise her hand again and quickly swung out a leg and brought her down beside him.

In a flash she straddled him and had her nails digging into his throat. He choked as his airway was cut off and he saw stars for a minute. He swung himself up and rolled over, pinning her body to the floor. He pressed both arms into the carpet beside her and pinned her legs down so that she couldn't knee him in the balls.

She struggled in vain, only becoming more enraged until finally she quit and they both laid there panting heavily.

"So," Sirius started taking another deep breath, "you can do wandless magic." How the hell had she managed that? "Are you satisfied now that you cursed me?"

She worked her mouth up to spit in his face, but he stopped her with a dangerous look that she had never seen on a man's face before. She didn't want to die tonight. "Never. You have more of that coming believe me. That wasn't a tenth of what you gave me. You almost killed me."

He sighed heavily. "Hermione, I am begging you to forgive me. What do I have to do to prove to you how sorry I am? Since coming back from the Veil it's not easy to control my temper. Sometimes I just lose it and I can't even see anything straight anymore. I don't know why, I just know that my head's not exactly right just yet." He swallowed painfully. A spasm wracked his body causing him to shift. "I don't blame you for not believing me or forgiving me, but I just wish I knew that someday you might."

He looked down into her dark brown eyes. He could almost drown in the malice that was pouring out from them. Malice that quickly turned to wariness, then surprise. She was so beautiful. Everything that had been ripped away from him and then denied all these years.

His eyes wandered down her cheekbones and over the curve of her nose to rest for a minute on her lips. They looked so soft and inviting and it had been so long.

She realized where his eyes were lingering and started panicking slightly. His long black hair had fallen down around both sides of his face to tickle her cheeks. For some reason, she was now painfully aware of every part of their bodies that touched, every part of her that molded to his hard lean frame.

Something hard was pressing into her leg and she watched his head move second by second closer to her face. She had to stop this.

"Don't," she whispered hoarsely. His eyes flickered to hers for a moment and then back to her lips as if the pull was too great. "Don't," she repeated in a whisper, "or I will hate you forever."

This time he looked into her eyes and held her gaze. His focus sharpened and he turned his face away from her. "Come on, we have to go," he said quietly, releasing her arms and standing up.

As they neared the door he paused. "Listen, whatever happens tonight, please just know that I don't want to do any of it."

"Do you know what is going to happen?"

"No, but nothing good can happen at a Deatheater party. Sex, liquor, torture," he shrugged bleakly. "That's all I can think of. We just have to get through whatever happens until we can escape."

She nodded. Unfortunately, those were her sentiments exactly; she was loathe to agree with him about anything. She took her usual place in front of him and his wand and they walked back to the dreaded audience hall, the only sounds being his boots softly thudding on the floor and her silk whispering between her legs. Thankfully, Sirius had let her pick her own colors to wear and she had chosen gold and bronze. It looked good on her and complemented her skin tone.

Most everyone was already gathered. Dozens of ornate chairs lined the sides of the room and the more important men had one of the seven slaves kneeling at his feet. She noticed that Avery still had his Hufflepuff, though she looked a little worse for the wear. Hermione darted a glance over to the girl to see if she was alright and was rewarded with a glare.

What a bitch, she thought, shooting her a look so cold that the girl actually recoiled into the lap of Avery. She smirked humorlessly at the stupid cow's face. Maybe the twit would be accidentally forgotten when she left this place. She told herself she was just kidding.

The Lestranges were keeping Pavarti between their chairs while Bellatrix sat on the other side of Rodolphus. Malfoy had a seventh year girl, Dolohov had Teagues again, Goyle was patting Katie's blonde head and smiling at her like a she was a pet or something, Lavender was on Theo Nott's lap, and Macnair had the other seventh year girl.

Every eye turned to look at her once the doors had opened and she and Sirius had walked through. Sirius took the lead with her trailing behind him, eyes lowered to the floor, but her chin was resolutely up. She refused to let them see her defeated or cowardly.

Surprisingly Sirius' chair was toward the front near Voldemort's. She glanced up and thanked the gods that he wasn't here yet. She needed time to adjust before facing him again. Sirius sat down and curtly told her to sit on the floor where she belonged.

Ah, the curtain has raised and the play has begun.

"Yes, master," she replied glumly and reclined against the side of his chair, near his legs. Thankfully there were some small pillows nearby that she used to cushion her rear and back.

Unfortunately, the people seated directly across the hall from them were Draco and Lucius. Next to them were all three Lestranges who each smiled maliciously at her. Well, Rodolphus didn't smile. She doubted that he could actually perform the action. But, he stared at her while his wife and brother looked at her like she was a piece of meat…each for different reasons she hoped. So far Bellatrix wasn't known to 'swing' that way and she didn't want to find out.

Lucius of course began first. "Well, I see that your whore is doing better today, Black." He looked at Hermione and let his eyes roam down her body. His bitterness was ill concealed.

She reminded herself that he didn't have any power over her anymore and to calm down. She felt Sirius' warm hand rest on the top of her head. He stroked it much like she had seen Goyle doing to Katie. To her extreme annoyance, the action was calming to her.

"Yes, Lucius she is. Thank you for noticing," he replied sarcastically, letting a finger lazily trace the curve of her ear. He knew how much Lucius wanted to hex him right now and it gave him great pleasure. To her credit Hermione didn't flinch or shy away…or physically assault him.

Lucius was silent for a moment, trying to work out the best way to make Black furious. Finally he smiled. "Well, I certainly hope she is working out as well for you as she did for me…every night. I guess that's all a filthy bloodtraitor like you is good for really—my leftovers," he said, smirking at Hermione. She glared at him as best she could before looking down.

Sirius never lost a beat stroking her head as gently as possible, looking up at Lucius in amusement. His jealousy was simmering just behind his eyes and Sirius thought it would be fun to play with him.

"Lucius, envy doesn't become you," he chuckled, stilling his movements. He tugged on her hair and she looked up in surprise. "Come here," he commanded, his eyes reassuring her that he wouldn't hurt her.

She stood up and stepped between his legs as he tugged her back onto his lap. Being this close to him was a bit disconcerting and she kept her gaze glued to the floor. His hand rested on top of her bare thigh, searing into her skin with his warmth, and his other hand curved around her waist. His thumbs traced circles over bare flesh in both places.

Sirius kept his eyes locked on Lucius' angry face. He slowly leaned his face over to her cheek and nuzzled it with his nose and lips. His stubble provided nice friction against her smooth skin and she swallowed hard.

Lifting his lips away from her ear for an instant, he smirked at Lucius. "By the way Lucius, she is indeed working out very well for me." He laughed at the poisonous look on the blonde man's face.

"You know, if you want her so bad I'm sure that all you need do is beg the Dark Lord. I'm sure after all your years of loyal service he would give her back to you," he said sarcastically.

Hermione frowned at looked at him in alarm. She knew he was just trying to get under Lucius' skin but he did have a way of recklessly taunting and insulting dangerous people. She had no desire to get caught in that crossfire.

Lucius' face darkened in anger. "What would you know of loyal service, Black? I have been the Dark Lord's most devoted--," he was abruptly cut off by Sirius' exaggerated eye rolling.

"Please," he muttered gritting his teeth, "you slithered your way out of prison fif-," he broke and looked at Hermione, "How old are you again?"

She glared. "Young enough to be your daughter." He raised an eyebrow impatiently. "Alright, seventeen,' she muttered, pursing her lips at the floor.

Sirius continued where he left off with Lucius. "-- sixteen years ago and managed to live a very comfortable existence all those years, prancing around from party to party. You come back from doing one year in Ahzkaban—one year, Lucius—and you whine like a baby about how loyal you are and how bad you've had it. Shit, there aren't even Dementors there anymore," he snarled, digging his hand harder into Hermione's thigh.

He smirked at Lucius' furious face and continued much to the delight of his companions. They were like sharks smelling blood. "Try living in Ahzkaban for twelve or even fourteen-," he glanced at the Lestranges, satisfied that they too were looking at Lucius in disgust, "years with Dementors wanting to suck your soul out. I must say," he added around looking at his former fellow inmates, "I think we handled ourselves brilliantly." Except for the psychotic tendencies exhibited by most, but he felt it wiser not to mention that.

Bellatrix laughed slightly maniacally and clapped her hands, her former outrage at her cousin forgotten. She loved when her slimy brother-in-law got taken down a peg or two. Most devoted follower indeed. Everyone knew that she herself was the Dark Lord's most devoted follower.

Rodolphus and Rabastan talked quietly to each other while Dolohov sneered at Lucius and took a large gulp of whiskey. He pulled Shannon roughly onto his lap, wanting to fuck the images of his damp, dark, terrifying cell out of his mind.

"I bet you screamed like an infant for all those years, didn't you?" Lucius sneered looking directly at Sirius now. "Crying like a baby for your dead friends. Reduced to eating rats and filth—_filth_, just like you are." He seemed to have forgotten that more people than just Sirius had suffered through the horrors of Ahzkaban and rashly spat out degrading insults loud enough for the entire hall to hear.

Instead of the jeers that he was hoping for, Lucius was met with silence and not just Sirius'. Dolohov had angrily shoved the girl off his lap and stood, clenching his fists. Bellatrix shot to her feet, red-faced, hair flying around her face, while her husband and brother-in-law were pale with rage.

Apparently, they remembered all too well the screams and cries and agony of their incarcerations and they didn't need to be reminded of their humiliations in so careless a way.

"Is there anything else you would like to say, Malfoy?" Rabastan asked calmly, shaking slightly in anger. He seemed to be staring at a point off to the side, as if looking directly at Lucius would cause him to react rashly and violently.

Lucius looked quickly around at his enraged comrades and decided another avenue of revenge against Black was necessary. His uncanny survival instincts had kicked in and he would defer for now. He adopted an air of indifference and raised an eyebrow. "As it happens I do not, _Lestrange_." He coolly sipped from his glass and turned his bored expression toward his suddenly fascinating silver tipped cane.

Tension stilled filled the room until a cold hissing voice broke the silence.

"What is going on here?"

Fearful eyes suddenly turned to Voldemort who had just come through the door located to the rear of his large chair in the front of the room. Everyone shifted uneasily under his crimson gaze and returned silently to their seats. He let his gaze linger on Lucius longer than the others.

"Well, Lucius?"

"Milord, it was nothing. Merely a misunderstanding that's all."

Voldemort sneered and slowly took his seat in front of the room, instantly commanding the attention of all.

"Faithful followers, your hard work is about to be rewarded. We are close to our goal and I am very pleased to say that before autumn arrives the Ministry will be ours."

The claps and cheers of the Deatheaters filled Hermione's ears. She looked around at her classmates in disbelief. Voldemort couldn't be that close to taking over… could he? She shuddered as the thought of what was happening to her world overwhelmed her.

"Be strong Hermione," Sirius whispered in her ear, squeezing her waist hard for a moment before returning his attention to the Dark Lord.

"I have special plans for the body of the auror Alistair Moody. It will serve as reminder of what happens to those who oppose me." He flicked a glance over to Hermione who could not meet his eyes. He chuckled a cruel soft sound that made her neck prickle.

"The days ahead will require much from all of you, but for tonight enjoy the festivities." With that Voldemort leaned back into his chair and flicked a hand.

Everyone began talking and drinking. Inhibitions ceased to exist and the lights dimmed. Off to the sides, she could hear crying and moaning and begging from girls she had never seen before. She turned her eyes away knowing there was nothing she could do to help them right now.

Sirius had a house elf pour him another glass of a strange amber colored liquid. "Here, take a few sips of this," he said in a low voice holding the glass up to her lips.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously sniffing it. It smelled horrible and she wrinkled her nose.

"It's something that will make the night more bearable for you," he murmured, his hot breath blowing lightly on her neck. She frowned and took the glass gingerly. His hand ran slowly up her thigh in a wide circle and back down again toward her knee.

"Do you have to touch me?" she asked annoyed, taking small sips of the horrible drink. She choked and he patted her on the back.

"Yes, I'm afraid I do, Hermione. The Dark Lord is watching us," he whispered, laying a hesitant kiss on her shoulder. His eyes never left her face as a tiny part of him liked the fact that her pulse had sped up.

She shifted her gaze to Voldemort and was startled to notice that Sirius was right. His red eyes were fixed on them, unmoving. Her eyes widened and she saw the corner of his mouth turn up, amused at her discomfort.

Sirius distracted her by trailing his lips up her shoulders and neck and she turned her eyes form Voldemort's. "What are you doing?" she asked, her heart pounding. She couldn't do this in front of everybody—she couldn't.

"Don't pay attention to them. You know me and yes, you hate me but I am the only person in this place who cares about you." His tongue darted out to trace her jaw line and ear lobe. She shivered at the sensations and then scowled.

"You will put both our lives in jeopardy if you don't play along. Voldemort is watching us as is everyone else. They will wonder why I am not simply forcing you. If it would make it easier I can put you under the Imperius curse. All you would have to do then--,"

"No," she interrupted quietly, turning to face him, "I will do what I have too, but no Imperius curse. Act like you're threatening me or something and then I'll begin."

As soon as those words were out of her mouth she jerked her face away from him as if in anger. He caught on and roughly wrapped a hand around the pale column of her throat.

"Unless you want a second round of what happened yesterday morning, you will do as I say, slave," he growled loud enough so that Voldemort and the men next to them could hear.

She clawed at his hand until he released her throat and glared at him. "Fine," she spat angrily adjusting herself so that she straddled him in the chair.

His eyes widened briefly in surprise but that was quickly replaced by heated desire. She was surprised that she wasn't burned by the intensity of it. Had it really been that long for him?

Hesitating for only a moment, she moistened her lips briefly and then placed them on his. A very unwanted jolt of _something_ shot through her as she moved her mouth over his, letting out a sigh of resignation as she dipped her tongue in to taste him. He coaxed hers with practiced movements that apparently even after sixteen years hadn't diminished.

Her fingers moved to the buttons on his shirt and undid a few at the top. She broke off the kiss much to Sirius' displeasure to burn a trail down the rough stubble of his jaw and neck with her lips. He groaned softly when she hit the sensitive skin around his collar bone.

She absolutely hated to admit it, but the sound he made sent a coil of heat to her belly. Gods, she hated him. This was just one more thing that she would torture him for later. She mentally shook herself as she made quick work of his remaining buttons. She could not torture people anymore with Unforgivables. The darkness inside her would take over.

He inhaled sharply as she raked her nails down his chest, drawing blood in some places. If she had to suffer through this then so did he, she reasoned, holding a breath as she went for his trousers. She was hoping to get by for now with just pleasuring him with her hand.

It was entirely disconcerting to feel Voldemort's eyes on her back.

Her hands started trembling slightly as she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. He shifted so that she could free his erection from its confines.

He was well endowed she noted, but then most wizards were. There were simply too many spell and potions at their disposal to not make use of them. She had a feeling that Sirius was all natural though. His cock spring free and immediately curved up his lean torso to rest somewhere near his belly button.

At least it was only slighter bigger than Lucius', she noted in relief although it would have helped if he had been lesser endowed.

"Hermione," he rasped with tightly controlled desire, "I don't want to enjoy this." He didn't want to say anymore in case other ears were listening but he hoped that she understood what he was trying to say.

She did and nodded, but not feeling as though anything was changing between them. Just because she felt some sliver of physical attraction for him did not mean she didn't hate him at the same time.

She began stroking his cock from base to head in slow practiced movements. Lucius had made her do this to him sometimes when he was tackling business papers or even sometimes when he had company. After awhile he would always make her take him into her mouth and finish.

That was what she was hoping to avoid for now.

She returned to his mouth and thrust her tongue in drawing a sharp breath when he snaked a hand through her hair and pressed against her more urgently. Her hand moved up and down him, twisting slightly over the slit at the top and drawing the beads of moisture that had began to seep out back toward the base of his shaft.

As she felt his breath turn ragged and deep, low, moans sounded into her mouth she picked up the pace, this time adding her other hand. It didn't take long before his head moved to brace against her shoulder, he tensed and thrusted into her hand a few times. His hot seed filled her hands and ran down over his stomach.

He closed his eyes for a few minutes as his breathing slowly returned to normal. She made no attempt to move from her position, frankly because she didn't want to meet anyone gaze. Especially Lucius'. No doubt he was remembering her doing this very thing to him not too long ago and wouldn't hesitate to point it out to everyone.

"Bloody hell," Sirius groaned quietly, feeling horrible that her hands had felt so good. It wasn't right, he told himself. He should have faked it; she most certainly had been. He could tell the difference between an enthusiastic witch and one who was simply trying to stroke his ego.

A few times he had felt as if she was enjoying herself but then it would be gone. Gods, he couldn't wait to get out of this place, he thought as he waved his wand between them to clean the sticky liquid off.

She was trying to calm herself down when all of a sudden a hush fell over the room (except for some sobbing and moaning) as Voldemort stood abruptly from his chair.

"You may carry on," he hissed softly to the room. He turned to face Hermione who looked at him in trepidation. "Mudblood, you will follow me to my quarters immediately."

He chuckled harshly at the look on her face. All the color had drained out of it. She tightened her hold on Sirius' shoulder. A few snickers could be heard from around the room as everyone drew their own conclusions.

"Don't worry, Sirius. I will return her to you shortly," he sneered. "Hurry up."

Hermione slid from his lap and adjusted herself with shaking fingers. Sirius' face looked like a combination of masked fear and anger, but all he could do was smirk at her and quickly put himself back together somewhat.

"Be a good girl now," he cautioned, his words full of double meaning as she slowly made her way over the cold stone floor toward Voldemort's towering form.

He turned from her and walked around his chair apparently leaving the same way as he came.

Nervously swallowing, she waited for a few heartbeats until she gathered what little courage she possessed and followed the Dark Lord through the door and on to his private chambers.

**Well, there it is—another cliffhanger. I hate them but the damned chapter was getting to be too long. The next chapter will pick up where this one left off. I don't think there will be anything physical between HG and LV. I'm not sure yet.**


	12. The Rest of the Story

**A/N- I'll tell everyone up front right now that this chapter ends with a cliffie so brace yourselves. I had to split the chapter up into part parts. Enjoy!**

Voldemort walked in front of her never looking back to see if she was following him or not. Of course, he would never suppose that she would _not_ follow him. She took the rare opportunity to study him from behind taking notice of everything, from his bone-white hairless head to the hem of his ebony robes that swished against his legs and feet as he walked.

He walked like an arrogant, spiteful bastard, she noted with disdain.

From the back it was hard to remember that he was the most evil wizard alive. His robes were unadorned and he wore no jewelry or anything that would let an ordinary person know that this was the Dark Lord.

She wondered what he dreamt about when he was asleep. Did he even sleep? Does a man who has hardly a soul left actually _need_ sleep?

She mentally smacked herself. What the hell do the sleeping habits of Voldemort matter? She sighed. She had always been too curious about everything for her own good, even the dark arts. Only the fear of becoming like those she hated and fought against had kept her from taking her curiosity too far.

"It is impolite to stare."

She jumped at the sound of his cold voice. He hadn't even turned his head to speak to her. Her face flushed as if she had just been caught doing something naughty. It wasn't as if she had been checking him out, she reasoned. She had merely been looking at him. So what if it was impolite to stare—it was impolite to rape, torture, and murder people also, but that didn't stop him.

How had he seen her anyway? She glared at the back of his head until remembering that he could probably tell what she was doing and quickly schooled her face into one less disrespectful.

What did he want with her? He couldn't want her for anything sexual, could he? She shuddered and raised her eyes up just in time to catch herself from crashing right into Voldemort. He'd probably torture her for that. Tainting his robes with her mudblood filth, she thought wryly.

They hadn't walked very far. She figured they must still be on the ground floor. The doors to his private quarters opened with a flick of his hand and they walked through them into a room that was somberly elegant. Dark, muted reds, blacks, and hints of gold and silver decorated it.

Voldemort strode over to a pitcher of water and poured a glass. He turned to her and held it out.

"Drink this."

She hesitated wondering if it was a trick. But, in the end she stepped forward and took the glass, careful not to touch any part of him. She held it gingerly between three fingers and took a sip.

Voldemort flicked his wand over and suddenly she was tilting her head back and downing the contents quickly, almost choking as the water ran down her chin and between her breasts. She finished and glared at him, coughing and spluttering.

He laughed. "I told you to drink it, not sip it. Next time do what you are told, mudblood."

_Go to hell you bastard_. "Yes, milord," she muttered angrily, ashamed at how natural those words came to her now.

He pressed his fingertips together and studied her for a moment with the same sneer on his face. "I hope you have thought more carefully about telling me what I want to know, Hermione."

She cringed when he said her name. It just sounded so wrong coming from his lips. She stayed silent knowing that it would take a lot more than asking to make her betray her friends.

He lifted what would have been an eyebrow at her lack of response. "I see you are still as stubborn and foolish as you were the night you let your parents die. Tell me, girl, how many more people have to die before you give me what I want?"

She clenched her fists and tried to choke down her rage. How dare he blame her parent's deaths on her? He didn't have to kill them. He was just an evil bastard.

"And what is it you want, _my lord_?" She forced the words out through clenched teeth and threw him a look as full of hate as possible. He only smiled wider, genuinely enjoying her hatred of him.

He circled her very closely with his wand at her neck, pressing in painfully and making her wince. He stopped behind her. His head hovered close above hers, tilted so that he could down into her face while she would be forced to keep her head straight or else risk bringing it to close to his.

"My lord," he repeated mockingly, "Yes, Hermione, I am your Lord now. And your Lord commands you to obey him." His voice though still cold had turned silky, drawing her in, trying to warp her mind into seeing things his way. Drawing her close so that he could swoop down for the kill. "Tell me where Potter is, Hermione. Where would they hide him? Tell me and I'll let you go," he offered smoothly, watching her face and eyes for any sign that he was getting through to her.

She swallowed hard, but set her jaw stubbornly.

He rolled his eyes and pressed his wand harder into the smooth skin at the base of her throat. "Or maybe you want something else? Hmmm? You are very beautiful. You know it, I know it, every man here knows it. You are the most intelligent witch at Hogwarts. You have bested some of the most evil men in the wizarding world and have managed to help that brat elude me time and again."

She had no idea where he was going with this, but it made her stomach churn. He continued speaking to her in low, hypnotic tones.

"I could give you everything you have every wanted. Riches, power, independence. You are mine anyway. Oh, I know I gave you to Sirius for now," he said guessing at her thoughts and smirking, "but at any time I could take you away from him. You could cooperate with me and live a life you could only dream of, or," he paused menacingly, digging the tip of his wand further into her flesh, "you can make me force the information out of you and suffer horrible things. And you will _still_ be mine."

He smiled a sadistic smile and withdrew from his place behind her.

She had been silent throughout his entire speech, but now she raised her head and looked at him. "You said you could give me everything I have ever wanted?"

He nodded his head and cocked it to the side as if wondering what her next words would be.

"Well, I don't care about riches, or beauty, or power. I want to live in peace with my friends and someday get married and have children. Can you give me those things, milord? I dare say you can't. So I guess you will have to force the information out of me and make me suffer."

His face hadn't changed. He just continued to regard her as if she were an interesting oddity that he was amused and surprised by. "You would give your life for the Order would you not?"

She hesitated, then nodded.

"Well, it would be interesting to know if they would offer the same loyalty to you as you do them, would it not?"

She jutted her chin out. "I know they would."

He shook his head. "You are so naïve and innocent. Well," he smirked, looking over at her, "at least you were. You're not so innocent anymore, are you?" he sneered, watching her get angrier and then try to compose herself. Her emotions could flick on and off like a muggle switch, he noted. That was a weakness perhaps that he could exploit.

"If I am not, it's your fault," she spat, ignoring the voice in her head telling her to just give him what he wanted.

"My fault? I am not the one who has raped and tortured you these last two months." He walked over to a small chest sitting in the corner by his bed.

"Thank god," she muttered, looking away.

"Ah, here we are," he announced, holding up what looked like a pensieve. She watched him as he walked over and placed it on a short table by the fire. "Before you lecture me on the morals and superiority of your precious Order of the Phoenix, allow me to give you with a present. Please,' he gestured, motioning her to step forward and look into it.

"It's not _your _memory is it? That would be creepy." She took a step forward and looked curiously at the bowl. She glanced over at him and let out an irritated breath.

"Bloody hell," she muttered again and fell forward into someone elses memory.

She landed on a stone floor and looked around to see she was in a deserted corridor of Hogwarts. Distant screams and sounds of battle could be heard and she saw a crying first year huddled in a corner. She wanted to go to her but reminded herself it was only a memory.

Suddenly, she heard a noise and swung around to see Sirius Black striding toward her. He rushed past wand at the ready and slowed down when he approached the turn in the corridor leading to the sounds of a fight happening. He stayed hidden and peered around the corner.

She walked over to him and stepped out into a familiar room. Her eyes widened as she recognized herself dueling with a masked Deatheater. She had been winning too, she remembered bitterly. She laughed as she saw herself send a rather nasty curse that hit the man's shoulder.

He howled in pain and clutched at it furiously.

"Yes, you are rather proud of yourself are you not?" a cold hissing voice asked beside her.

She jumped back into a hard body and spun around scowling into the mocking face of Voldemort. "I didn't know you were coming too." She turned back and watched as the Deatheater raised his wand and shot a jet of red light toward her.

Hermione walked forward now to better see herself. The light hadn't hit her but she saw her face crumple in surprise and the memory Hermione fall to her knees instantly.

"Hey! He didn't hit me. What in the-," she stopped as she noticed a movement directly in front of her on the stairs across the room.

Kingsley was lowering his wand and checking quickly to see if anyone had seen him. She saw him dart back up the stairs and the Deatheater who thought he had won walked over to her prostrate form.

He laughed wickedly and bent down tossing her wand out of the way. To her horror, she saw his hand sneak its way underneath her shirt.

"That nasty pervert!" she protested, trying to kick the memory Deatheater but naturally her leg went right through his body.

She seethed as walked over to Voldemort. Sirius had his back against the wall and was not looking at her body, and he was muttering to himself to softly that she couldn't hear him. If he had been paying proper attention to her he might have stopped her assailant from putting his nasty hands all over her. As it was seeing Kingsley had appeared to distract him.

She stopped suddenly in horror as the meaning of what she had just seen washed over stealing her breath. Voldemort clamped a cold hand down on her arm and together they returned back to his private quarters. She was pale and shaking by the time she noticed her surroundings.

She couldn't have seen what she thought she saw. It was a trick. It wasn't real. Sure she knew that Kingsley didn't like her and they had never seen eye to eye, but he couldn't have betrayed her like that, leaving her to the mercy of Voldemort. He had stunned her from behind, so maybe he had been trying to help her and his aim sucked.

She let out a breath and some of her color came back. Yes, that was it. He had been trying to help her and his spell missed and hit her instead. She frowned down at the carpet. Then why hadn't he immediately stunned the Deatheater who had dragged her away? There had been no one else around. He wouldn't have been in any danger.

He had betrayed her. That was the only explanation. She had seen the look in his eyes as he stood to leave and it had been one of loathing and glee, not fear.

Everything in her body clenched right then—her jaw, her fists, the muscles in her shoulders and legs, everything. How dare he! Something red flashed across her eyes just then but it was gone quickly.

He would pay, she promised herself. He wouldn't get away with this. When she finally escaped this place, he is going to beg her to spare his worthless life, she swore seething in cold hard anger.

"Now you know, Hermione," Voldemort said a little too cheerfully for her tastes. How could he even be cheerful? Did people with no souls feel that emotion? Obviously, she told herself in derision.

"Now you know how little you are actually worth to them. Their leader stunned you and left you to my mercy. I think you of all people know how much mercy I have."

"Yes, none," she snapped, wishing he'd shut up and let her think. That memory was obviously Sirius'. Why hadn't he told her? He would pay too, she decided fuming.

"Are you going to tell me now what I want to know? Why protect people who don't obviously share the same loyalty to you?"

She backed away in anger, struggling not to go into an explosive rage.

"I am running out of patience, girl. Tell me," he demanded, his voice taking on a hard edge.

She glared at him. "No. I won't. I don't care what that stupid bastard did. Harry didn't betray me and I won't betray him. I told you before I am loyal to him and Ron, not just the Order."

He looked at her furiously and his wand twitched in his hand. The lights flickered for an instant before he regained control. "If that is what you want then you leave me choice. I was hoping that you would see some sense, but clearly you are not intelligent as I have been led to believe."

He raised his wand and she braced herself for a nasty Cruciatus curse. Nothing happened and she opened her eyes. He smiled at her and she shuddered and he flicked his wand downward. She gasped as every clasp of her clothing came undone and dropped to the floor.

She wrapped her arms around her bare torso and shivered though not from the cold. "What are you doing?" she asked angrily. She didn't really have much modesty left, not like she used to have, but being totally exposed in front of the Dark Lord was a horrible feeling she never would wish on anyone.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to touch you. I want you to put this on instead," he told her and floated a dress over to her.

She took it with one hand and looked at it. It was a plain white dress that looked more like a linen shift to her. It had straight sleeves that fell to her wrists and flared slightly at the fore arm. The neck line was round and low and the hem fell to her ankles. All in all it was a good dress. Nice to actually wear real clothes for a change.

She tossed a look at the bane of her existence and glared when he wasn't looking away. Then she shrugged and dropped her arms. If he wanted to see her naked that was his problem. She had a rather fantastic body if she did say so herself. Thanks to magic and Griselda.

She quickly stepped into the dress and it automatically adjusted to fit her.

Then she stared at Voldemort and waited for whatever was going to come.

"Since you prefer to do things the hard way," he started, snapping his fingers, "you will be receiving different sleeping arrangements for tonight."

A loud pop sounded and Hermione looked over to see a blue house elf bowing.

"Tinky, take this filth down to the dungeons and leave her there. Then go back to your work." He took a seat at his table and poured himself a drink. He watched as Hermione was led away. "Don't worry mudblood. You will have lots of company in the morning," he stated cruelly, his red eyes gleaming with thoughts that made her shiver.

What was going to happen to her in the morning?

She silently walked behind the little elf as they descended lower into the bowels of Malfoy manor. She couldn't stop thinking about what Voldemort had showed her. Kingsley had been the one to betray her. But why? Why would he want her in the hands of Voldemort? Was he hoping that she was dead?

Sirius had told her the first night that she had become his slave that the Order knew she was here and alive, but did they know about their leader? How many of them were in on it? She began to shake as she felt how truly alone she was at the moment.

How could even trust Sirius right now? Sure, she wanted to torture him until he begged her stop, but still, she was counting on him to help her to escape. That required a certain degree of trust in itself. She wanted desperately to talk to him right now, but knew that she would have to wait.

Tinky opened the door to the dungeons and she was assailed with memories of that terrible night when Dumbledore was killed and she had been captured and brought here. She steeled herself to push those horrible memories from her mind and pressed forward, down the stairs and into a room larger than an ordinary cell.

Tinky produced a thin pillow and a pitiful excuse for a blanket and handed them to her. She miserably took them and then Tinky left the room, shutting the door on her way out.

Hermione was left in miserable darkness with only a small window to give her any light.

XXXXXXXXXX

Voldemort strode back to the audience hall where the revel was going in full swing. Screams and laughter and moans and grunts filled his ears as people were tortured and used. He noted that some had even learned to enjoy themselves. Young Nott for example was pounding very enthusiastically into the girl he chosen for the night as his reward for a service rendered.

The girl was arching her back and moaning underneath him. He wondered if she was pureblood or not. If Nott liked her so much maybe the Dark Lord would give her to him in marriage. The sooner his followers started producing more heirs, the sooner his army would be built up to an unstoppable strength.

He also noticed that Avery had decided to finally partake of his slave. Voldemort had decided to give her to him since it was the only girl Avery used anyway. The silly twit apparently liked him as well, he snorted watching her blonde head move up and down the man's cock.

He saw her cast an adoring look at Avery which was returned with a hard pinch. She winced but kept going. Voldemort was curious about something and he decided to take a quick stroll through Avery's head.

He was surprised to see that while Avery was receiving a blow job, he was thinking about Hermione Granger. His thoughts kept alternating between wanting to torture her to death and wanting to fuck her to death. Voldemort almost laughed at the other man's indecision. Avery was one of his most sadistic followers, usually preferring death and torture to sex of any kind. It was rare indeed to see him expressing any sexual interest in a female, not that he preferred males. He just wasn't led by his cock the way most men were.

This girl that he was with right now, he assumed was being used for some purpose. Maybe a spy? Avery closed his eyes for a moment and pushed her head down farther on him, jerking a couple times before relaxing. The girl had tears in her eyes and was holding her throat as she stood up to sit back down on his knee. Avery said something to her that immediately made her shut up and the Dark Lord smirked.

Now it was time for business. He raised a hand and hissed for silence. It took a few moments to get everything under control especially seeing as some were mid-coitus. Oh well, that would teach them to be slaves to their baser urges.

"I have a task for some of you in the morning. Avery, Rodolphus and Rabastan, Lucius Malfoy, Dolohov, Macnair, and," he paused scanning the room once more, "that will be all. You will each report to me at dawn. I will brief you then. If you're late you know the consequences." He flicked a finger to signal he was done and watched as everything went back to normal once again.

Sirius was frowning in his chair. Why hadn't Hermione been brought back? What was happening to her? He was about to ask the Dark Lord for her whereabouts when the hissing monster spoke to him first.

"Don't trouble yourself, Sirius," Voldemort said mockingly, "she is alive and will stay that way because I wish it. Don't tell me _you're_ going soft as well? What is it about this mudblood that dredges up these pitiful emotions among my followers?"

Sirius shook his head and spoke evenly. "Milord, I was merely lamenting the turn my evening has taken. The slave is quite good at what she does," he smirked feeling sick on the inside.

"Yes, well, once I regain full power and the girl becomes my personal slave, maybe I will try her out," Voldemort mused, not really caring if he ever did or not. He had been telling her the truth when he said he didn't have those kinds of urges anymore. Maybe he hadn't found the right turn on.

He missed the brief horrified look on Sirius' face at his words.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione was stretched out on her makeshift bed when she first opened her eyes blearily. She had not slept well at all, as was to be expected from sleeping on a stone floor. Surprisingly, it had been very hot all night long. She longed to take her dress off but didn't dare risk it. She settled for bunching it up around her hips and between her legs so that her legs were exposed. She also loosened the drawstring that kept her breasts from spilling out.

Thankfully, she had been able to undo her hair this time. It was spilling out around her head in gentle waves. For a long moment she studied the cracks in the stone ceiling. She was preparing herself mentally for whatever Voldemort had in store for her this morning. Torture most likely, she deduced. Maybe he thought that she was a selfish creature who only cared for herself and therefore attacks on her family and friends were pointless.

That wasn't true. She cared more for them than anybody she ever had in her life. Maybe ridding the world of Voldemort wasn't worth the price she was paying. Who could say that one life was more important than another?

She shook her head and turned her attention back to the problem of the dark magic residing within her. Should she embrace it today or fight it? If whatever was inside her was trying to protect her then she assumed that she would be heavily influenced to tell Voldemort whatever he wanted to know to save herself.

She frowned though as she remembered that she had not told Voldemort where Harry was hiding when he threatened her parents. Whatever It was had wanted the screaming to stop because it was hurting her. Why had the screaming had to end in death instead of her acquiescence?

This was such a confusing spell, she thought helplessly. Maybe it hadn't influenced her at all. Maybe it had only given her the strength to do what she wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.

That thought horrified her more than anything because then that meant she had let her parents die of her own free will. It had been easier to blame It.

She heard loud voices and boots resounding along the dungeon floor. Well, she thought dully and resigned, here it comes.

She sat up and made her self a little more decent. Her hair was tousled and her joints were aching. She slowly leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes letting the tingle course through her body. She smiled a small smile and waited.

Her door opened and the room lit up dimly. Men filed in one by one. She made no move to get up and they made no move to acknowledge her. She saw the Lestrange brothers, Malfoy Sr., Avery, Dolohov, and Macnair. They all looked like they hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. Great-- so she had to deal with cranky Deatheaters today.

Macnair was grumbling off to the side as he dropped a bag with a loud clank on the floor. She absolutely refused to let herself wonder what was in that bag. Rabastan was joking around with Avery about something to do with Quidditch.

Wait—what? It grated on her that while they were supposed to be torturing her for information and they were standing around talking as if they were at a muggle barbecue. And laughing, she grimaced feeling a little indignant.

Malfoy was drinking some potion, possibly for a hangover and tying his long blonde hair back. He was looking annoyed over at Rabastan probably because he was talking too loud for his tastes. And headache.

Dolohov wasn't really doing anything in particular just casually leaning against the wall staring off into space. Rodolphus was the only one who flicked a glance her way before going over to Macnair and whispering.

She was curious to know what he had been like before Ahzkaban. He couldn't have been this way his entire life, she decided. He looked somber, intense and at the same time tired. Maybe he had envisioned his life differently when he was freed from prison.

She didn't really care. She wanted them to hurry up because waiting was torture in itself.

Dolohov took notice of her first and leered at her. "So mudblood, did you miss me last night?"

What an idiot. She answered him coldly, noticing that the others had stopped talking and had turned to her.

"Yes, Dolohov, I did," she said her voice dripping in derision. "As I laid here on the floor all night long, instead of thinking about my dead parents or my friends, I thought of _you_."

He laughed and walked over to her. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy what I'm going to do to you today, mudblood." He grabbed her arm and yanked her up. He led her to the middle of the room and everyone's expressions had turned devoid of emotion.

That makes sense, she thought. I would have to bury my emotions too if I had to torture someone.

"Alright, let's get on with it," Macnair grunted, heaving a sigh as if the entire thing was far more boring than he could possibly bear.

They all moved into action, each removing his shirt and a few stretching tired joints as if they were about to perform physical labor. She stamped down the fear that was started build and merely stood there waiting. She eyed them apprehensively wondering if Voldemort was going to make good on his threat to have her gang raped.

She stubbornly set her jaw. They could do whatever they wanted to her and she still wouldn't crack. Her parent's deaths couldn't be in vain.

"Like what you see," Rabastan joked as if he wasn't about to do horrible things to her. They had all stopped with their shirts, thank Merlin.

She glared at him. "I did until you opened your mouth,' she said with sickening sweetness." She too rolled her neck around her shoulders in an effort to loosen it and ready herself for the pain.

He snickered. "Well, get used to it, whore. You'll be hearing all day long."

Dolohov trailed his hand up the curve of her spine and looked at the front of her dress. Damn it. She had forgotten to close it and now there was a gaping triangle of flesh exposed. She was thankful now that she didn't have large breasts. She jerked her hand up to close it, but he grabbed it stopping her.

"Leave it. It will further my enjoyment of today's activities," he sneered raising a hand to her breast.

She immediately knocked his hand away and he growled slapping her across the face. Her head snapped to the side but other than that she remained standing. He grabbed her hair and shoved her up against the wall. Out of habit she began retreating to the place inside her head she always went to when Lucius had forced himself on her.

She didn't fight back when he ran a hand up her thigh, but a loud sigh drew her attention.

"Antonin, you know we're not allowed to touch her. Leave her alone," Rabastan told him sounding bored.

With a loud growl Dolohov flung himself off her and stalked back to his friends. She smirked at him and straightened her dress.

"Alright, we are going to ask you to answer some questions and if you don't answer them we will torture you until you do. Understand?" Avery asked calmly, tapping his wand against his hand.

Out of everyone, Avery and Lucius looked the healthiest. They were the only ones besides Macnair who hadn't been imprisoned. She glanced over at the old executioner and made a small face. Some men really shouldn't go around without a shirt.

She nodded dutifully at him and waited.

"Now then, where do Harry Potter's relatives live?" Avery asked in a polite tone looking at her with his intense blue eyes that she made sure she didn't look directly into.

She gave him a puzzled look. They had been there hadn't they? The night her parents were killed. "Um, they live somewhere near London. I don't know exactly where because I've never been there," she answered his question honestly because she figured she'd need all her strength for the questions she knew they wanted most. Those they would never get.

"You are one of his best friends and girlfriend are you not? I find it hard to believe that you never visited him during the summer holidays."

"We weren't allowed over there. His aunt and uncle hated him and everything to do with magic." She hoped that there wasn't some hidden consequence to answering his questions.

He looked at her steadily. "You are being surprisingly cooperative so far."

She shrugged restlessly. "I figure I need to save my energy for the questions I already know I won't answer."

Everyone chuckled at her in amusement. Their itchy wand hands didn't escape her notice though.

"Alright, fair enough. What would you say his relationship is like with his aunt and uncle and cousin?"

She thought about it for a moment and decided that no harm could come from answering it. "Like I said, they hate him and he hates them. He only lived there so that he couldn't be killed during the summer. His aunt and uncle were only too glad to leave him to the Dark Lord."

"So they are not in England anymore?"

She shrugged. "I only know what Harry told me before I was brought here. He said that they told him that 'those blasted wizards could take him and be done with it'. He was going to force them into hiding however just in case."

"Why would he care about them if he hated them so much?"

"Well, because he didn't want them to die no matter what they had done him. And because of Dudley, his cousin." At Avery's expectant look, she sighed wondering when the real torture was going to begin. "After Harry save his cousin from the Dementor attack the summer before fifth year, they became more friendly."

Some in the room visibly tensed at the mention of the dreaded ex-guards of Ahzkaban. No matter how long they had been free, they would never forget the things that still haunted their dreams.

"Alright, next question. Where did Potter spend his time when he wasn't at home or school?"

She looked blankly at him. "Nowhere. He wasn't allowed to go anywhere when he was home and during Christmas break he stayed at school. Okay, one time we went to the Quidditch World Cup, but other than that," she trailed off glaring at Lucius as she remembered what his activities had been at that particular event.

"Let's try that question again shall we? This time don't lie," Avery said smoothly, the air in the room shifting subtly as if they knew the excitement was about to begin.

She glared at him and almost backed away. They were getting close. "Sometimes we would stay with the Weasley's for a few days before school started. But that's it." A sudden inspiration struck her. "There and at 12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black's home." She waited for their reactions.

"We already know about that," Lucius smirked, moving forward slightly. "I must say I was disgusted beyond belief that a passel of filthy bloodtraitors, werewolves, and a mudblood like you had been allowed to taint such a pureblood and noble house that has been in my wife's family for years."

She snorted in derision at Lucius. "You weren't so disgusted when I was tainting your pureblood and noble cock this past summer. I would say the opposite of disgusted actually."

Almost everyone but Lucius choked on their laughter. Avery merely looked at her patiently. Lucius raised his wand and she felt the same sting across her cheek that he had used so often on her in the past. She hardly flinched.

Avery got her attention again. "Now then, we have eliminated the Black manor as a possibility. Black himself has told us that it is not being used anymore and we have also searched it as well. That brings us to the other place you mentioned, the Weasley residence. Where is that located exactly?" Avery began to pace around in slow methodical circles, waiting for her answer.

She smirked weakly. "Well, I'm not going to tell you that. So I guess we've arrived at the fun part."

Avery walked back to stand in front of her with a wide almost genuine smile on his handsome face. "It was a long wait."

He raised his wand and the others closed in, their faces twisting in excitement and anticipation.

"Crucio."

**A/N- there you have it. Now the good torture stuff gets started in the next chapter. I'll post it quickly unless something happens. Thank you!**


	13. Down in the Dungeons

Crucio.

The pain engulfed her entire body and she couldn't breathe or think. She managed to keep her lips pressed together to keep from screaming, but her teeth started to cut through the inside of her mouths. Then just as suddenly it was gone.

Merlin's beard, Avery's Cruciatus packed quite a punch. She gasped air back into her lungs and realized she was on the floor in the fetal position. She rolled over onto her back and through her pain, she smirked defiantly up at the Deatheaters peering down at her.

"I guess I should just stay here since I'm not going to answer your question." She sounded way more brave than she felt and braced herself for another round.

Avery merely returned her gaze calmly and stepped back allowing Rodolphus to loom over her. He waved his wand and she suddenly felt an incredible urge to stand up. She smiled happily as she righted herself and looked up at his worn face and dark brown eyes that were devoid of any warmth.

As suddenly as those feelings had come they were gone and she scowled up at Rodolphus. She was really getting sick of the Imperius curse. She brushed herself off and waited for them to ask the question again.

"So, you were telling us where the Weasley scum resides," Macnair prompted menacingly, his ugly face seemingly affected with a permanent glare.

"I was not."

This time Rodolphus cursed her. She tasted blood in her mouth as the waves of pain washed over her, contorting her body and making her writhe in anguish. He kept it on longer than Avery had and this time she almost passed out. Before she actually did however it was lifted and she gasped for air again.

She breathed deep, controlled breaths quickly bringing her body under control. She had been forced to find some way to manage the pain during her time with Lucius seeing as he would love to curse her sometimes even while they were in the middle of sex. He liked the way she clenched around him while her body spasmed.

Sick bastard.

Once again she was standing, and once again it was not of her own volition. She took another deep breath and then straightened up and tossed a haughty look at Rodolphus. He laughed at her and raised his wand, but Avery stopped him.

"It seems as if this slave is in dire need of having her pride and dignity stripped somewhat." He smiled at her again. He seemed to be the happiest when he was torturing somebody, she noted.

What was he going to do now?

He made a couple quick slicing movements with his wand and then stopped and raised his eyebrows at her. She looked down and saw no blood or anything out of the ordinary.

"What?" she demanded, and just then piece by piece her dress fell to the floor in scraps.

"Oh." She glared at him as she stood naked in front of six Deatheaters. "Well, doesn't that come in handy," she mumbled, stepping back slightly.

Rabastan laughed and waved a hand in Avery's direction. "Maybe in _his_ bedroom. He likes slicing things off women." She gave him and Avery disgusted looks.

She was furious that they were trying to humiliate her this way. She looked shrewdly at all of them and then saw Dolohov with his eyes bugging out and roving over her body. He was so pathetic. She remembered Rabastan's words saying that they weren't allowed to touch her and couldn't pass up this opportunity to taunt him.

She put her hands on her hips and arched her back slightly. "Ah, finally Antonin," she said his name silkily causing him swallow hard, "Sirius isn't around and I'm completely naked." He nodded his eyes never leaving her breasts.

"Don't you wish you could fuck me?"

Her coarse language seemed to heighten his desire and she saw his eyes darken as he took a purposeful step toward her. He had a rather large and pressing problem in his pants at the moment that was painfully obvious to everyone.

"Isn't it too bad that you can't?" She laughed in his face and gave him a malicious glare. His face went red and furiously clenched his fists and gripped her roughly by her shoulders.

"Antonin, I can't believe you let her get to you. _You're_ supposed to be in charge, not her," Lucius drawled in derision.

She looked over with mockery in her eyes and saw that they were all now angry with her. Apparently it was bad form to tease a man while standing front of him naked.

"Argh! If I could just fuck her and wipe that fucking look off her face she wouldn't be so proud then."

"Yes, usually that is the way it works,' Avery acknowledged patiently as if speaking to a small child, "but in her case the Dark Lord has forbid it. No sexual acts of any kind. Now if we can get on with it," he urged in annoyance, finally showing some other emotion besides apathy and cool indifference.

"But, I've been waiting for her since the Department of Mysteries," he whined petulantly like a child.

Ugh! What a pedophile, she thought.

"Dolohov, let her go or I will be forced to incapacitate you,' Avery warned calmly, his tense stance betraying his emotions.

Things happened very quickly after that. Hermione noticed she was pressed against a very angry and aroused Dolohov. His eyes were heavy with desire and he was in no way in control of himself. Maybe, just maybe, she could push him over the edge and get him into trouble.

She would wish she were dead once the others got through with her, but oh, it might be worth it.

She looked over at Avery who was staring at her with mounting anger because she had messed up his orderly torture session. They others were tense. The Dark Lord had specifically told them that if anyone went against his wishes they would be severely punished. Dolohov had a temper and had often been punished because his cock had done his thinking for him. He was kept around only because he was loyal and an excellent duelist.

She looked back to Dolohov and rubbed herself against him pushing her thigh between his legs. "Oh, come on Dolohov. Just put up a shield charm and then I will be yours. They won't tell," she whispered quickly. "They're your friends. What's a mudblood to them? Nothing. Come on, Antonin it will feel so good." One more brush against his hardened cock and he snapped.

They others saw it too late and they ran into a shield charm that blew them back about a foot. They all started furiously firing at it, trying without luck to break it down before their comrade got himself killed.

If he got tortured and humiliated for this it would all be worth it, she thought sneering at them.

Dolohov grasped her breast hard and bent his head to her neck. He groaned and rubbed against her making her grimace. He jerked her head back and his tongue invaded her mouth almost choking her. She kept her eyes open and saw that the others were furious at both of them and still trying to break down his shield.

She hoped that they would break through in time, but was prepared in case they did not. She needed to slow him down or make him come without having sex with him. "Wait, don't you need to take your pants off?" she asked in a low voice.

He stopped and decided that was a very good idea. He hastily fumbled with his trousers and she took that opportunity to look at the others. Avery was the only one really concentrating on her and she was very afraid of the look in his eyes. The others were still trying to blast the shield down.

Dolohov's pants were almost down and she decided that she needed to think of something fast or else nothing would stop him from taking her. Closing her eyes, she concentrated all of her power on the shield and waved her hand unobtrusively toward it.

It fell and the others rushed forward with their wands drawn. She was grabbed roughly by Rodolphus and held against him tightly as Avery walked over to her with an odd look in his eye. He didn't hit her, he merely looked at her. She wondered if he had seen her use magic.

"Dolohov, get out," Macnair ordered as Dolohov furiously zipped his trousers back up again. "I can't believe you let a mudblood outwit you. Get out of here and take care of your problem. We'll handle the rest."

Dolohov lunged at Hermione furiously and she felt his palm connect with the side of her face. She smiled at him and it only enraged him further. Rodolphus raised his wand with one arm and without ceremony stunned him ending his attempts to get to Hermione. The other arm snaked tightly around her chest.

"Lucius, get him out of here," Avery ordered disgustedly. "Dump him in the hall and return immediately."

Lucius looked disdainfully at Dolohov's crumpled form and levitated him out of the room.

Avery hadn't taken his eyes off of Hermione's face the entire time. He knew what he had seen and it only confirmed his previous suspicions about her. He had no intention of telling anybody just yet. He wanted to wait until the right time, when it could benefit him the most.

"I suppose you think that was clever of you?"

She sneered at him. "I don't think it was that clever. In fact it was rather easy."

Rodolphus' large hands tightened painfully around her upper arms. "That was stupid of you mudblood."

"Yes, but it felt good," she shot back.

"I don't think you'll find the rest of us so easily overcome by your…charms," Avery said curling his lips and slowly perusing her naked body. She wanted to shrink under his gaze but pride made her stiffen her spine and raise her chin.

"I know that," she retorted, "that's why I picked him. He's not very good at hiding his weaknesses."

He smiled. "No he is not. You can release her now," he told Rodolphus who reluctantly let her go. Lucius re-entered the room and locked the door behind him.

Five against one. The odds weren't much better.

"I don't think we'll be asking any more questions for awhile." Avery waved his wand and two chains snaked down from the ceiling to shackle themselves to her slave gauntlets. She stared open mouthed at them. Those things had many uses, she thought sighing.

Her arms were jerked forward high above her head until she was standing on her toes. The echo reverberated throughout the chamber dying down a few moments later.

She knew what was coming. Lucius had whipped her often enough when she was his. He always healed her halfway through it so he could go on twice as long. Macnair walked over to his bag and withdrew a whip and handed it to Lucius.

"Well, well, this will be just like old times." He sauntered around to face her, running his pale hands up and down the length of the sleek black whip. She spat at him though unfortunately it missed. Chuckling, he walked around to stand in back of her leaving the rest smirking in front.

"So, do you me miss me at night? I bet Black doesn't fuck you the way I do."

"Did," she corrected, wondering what exactly was so fascinating about her that men would make spectacles of themselves in front of their friends.

She closed her eyes and calmly let a breath out through her nose. She relaxed everything, her mind and her body, and let whatever was inside of her take over. The part of her mind that was scared of the pain was closed off and when she opened them again she was ready.

She knew it would still hurt like hell, but at least now she might stand a chance of not squealing on her friends. She just had to keep calm and maintain control over her emotions.

She heard the whip whistle through the air and felt it connect with her back. Keep breathing, she thought ignoring the pain burning across her back. It helped somewhat to channel every ounce of hatred she had in her for Voldemort and his Deatheaters.

And Kingsley. Okay, and Sirius and Remus, too.

Crack!

Crack!

Her body jerked but she still didn't moan. A trickle of blood ran down her back slightly tickling her. What would he do if she started giggling? she wondered. It wouldn't be pleasant.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Only a light sheen of sweat that covered her brow let them know she was in pain.

"Alright," Avery interrupted, "Rabastan you may have a go."

The tall, curly haired man strolled forward smacking his wand across her breast as he walked by. Lucius was annoyed that he had to stop so soon, but handed the whip over without fuss.

Before she could even get her bearings, she felt the searing pain across her buttocks. Again and again the whip cracked across her legs and the soft flesh above it. Her lips were pressed firmly together and she reminded herself to breathe.

The pain was getting harder to keep at bay, but she was stubborn and wouldn't give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Her eyes narrowed on a point on the wall in front of her and she never looked away. Everything faded in her mind, the pain, her hatred, escape—everything.

She breathed in. She could do this.

The pain stopped for an instant before his brother took over. This version of Bellatrix's husband was different than the one she had been presented with all this time. He handled the whip more ruthlessly and cruel than the others and made sure that she felt each lash before delivering another. She squeezed her eyes shut suppressing her urges to moan and break down.

The only sounds in the chamber were the echoing of the whip and Rodolphus grunting and putting his entire body into each lash.

"I'm impressed, brother," Rabastan remarked taking a drink of water. She refused to look at the glass. "Maybe I should take lessons from you." He downed the glass of water and then looked at Hermione. As the whip cracked down and she jumped, he smiled and walked over to her.

"Would you like a drink, mudblood? I'm sure you're very thirsty." He wiggled the glass in front of her face and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

She refused to speak to him. She knew that if she opened her mouth she would scream.

He shrugged. "Your loss."

Finally Rodolphus stopped out of breath and handed the whip to Macnair. This was the point at which it was getting very hard to control herself. She wanted desperately to scream and make the pain go away. She started to panic at first until she saw Avery's mocking eyes staring at her knowing she was about to break.

How dare he! She clenched her jaw and fought the urge to sag against her restraints. After the next three lashes she couldn't help it anymore. She exhaled loudly and moaned. Black spots appeared before her eyes and she couldn't see the others clearly anymore. She frowned and tried blinking but nothing helped.

Was she about to pass out? Hopefully the answer was yes.

All that her mind acknowledged now was the agony of each lash.

Avery held up his hand for Macnair to stop. Macnair was breathing hard and sounded like he hadn't done this in awhile.

Hermione was sagging slightly against the chains and with her eyes closed.

"Now, would you like to answer my question? Where is the Weasley's house located?" At her silence he sighed. "I'll make a deal with you. Tell us what we want to know and I will heal all of your wounds. You won't be in pain anymore and you can go back to your room." He walked up close to her and very gently pushed some hair back over her ear.

"Maybe you can even see your friends, hmmm?" He trailed a finger over a rivulet of blood that had started running down over her shoulder. "I know for a fact that you haven't been up to see them since you were given to Black."

The sharpness of her pain was dulled only at the mention of her friends.

"Friends?" she whispered raggedly. Avery smiled and nodded at her. She mustered everything she had in her and lifted her head higher to look at him. She fought against the pain and gave a short laugh.

"Speaking of friends, Avery—how's your little spy doing?" She smirked as best she could and leaned her head against her arms for support, coughing slightly. Oh, that hurt a lot. She hoped she didn't catch a cold before her back healed.

He studied her for a moment and dropped his hand. "She's doing quite well actually. The Dark Lord has given her to me permenantly. She's quite a loyal thing. I knew I had chosen well by picking a Hufflepuff," he snickered, looking back at his friends who also laughed.

She rolled her eyes and winced from the stinging pain in her back and legs. "Please," she spat sarcastically, "you picked her because she was the stupidest girl up there. Easily manipulated and perfect to use."

He shrugged. "Of course. She tells me everything that goes on between the seven of you. Who is friends with each other and what you talk about."

She laughed again. "I had no idea that you wished to know which of your comrades were better in bed. Or who is more well endowed."

The others visibly straightened at her words. "You mean you talk about that?" Rabastan asked, interestedly.

She scowled and sighed. Only a man would want to know something like that at a time like this.

"_I _don't talk about that. I am merely forced to listen to their idiocy day after day. Don't worry," she smirked, "Pavarti hasn't mentioned you at all."

He scowled right back at her and she wondered if he had developed some sort of twisted fondness for Pavarti. She couldn't afford to have another girl left behind. There was no way now that Avery's Hufflepuff could leave with them since she had been given to him as a gift.

The little idiot.

Avery waved his wand and her body dropped to the floor with a painful thud. She moaned and gasped in pain.

"Answer my question willingly or we will continue with the more painful method," Avery demanded with barest hint of annoyance. He preferred very much to work alone. Distractions like these happened less.

His patience was at an end and he unleashed the Cruciatus on her in full force. This time she couldn't hold back her screams.

"Are you going to answer me?"

She shook her head slightly and he looked over his shoulder. "Lucius would help me here? I wonder how painful it is to be cursed by two people at a time." Lucius grinned and walked over to his old friend and they both held out their wands and pointed them at Hermione.

Hermione let out a scream that very few had ever heard before. It almost sounded as if it came from an animal and not a human. She didn't last more than a few seconds before she passed out into the cool blackness.

Macnair sighed again in utter boredom and leaned against the wall. The others gathered around her body and watched as Avery levitated it into the middle of their group.

"I suppose you should heal her so we can continue," Rodolphus said frowning down at the unconscious girl.

Avery looked thoughtful for a moment. "I will heal her," he decided, lightly touching his bottom lip, "But, then I think I will go to the Dark Lord and petition him to allow us to use better methods. She needs better incentives to talk. Physical pain isn't going to break her—at least not for awhile and he said he doesn't want her irreparably damaged."

"I don't see why we can't just fuck the truth out of her," Macnair grumbled. In his day there would be none of this prancing around and coddling slave girls until they _felt _like answering questions. You would beat them, torture them and fuck them until they screamed what you wanted to hear.

Some of the others agreed with Macnair. Mostly they just wanted to have some fun while having to endure a long session down in a very hot dungeon.

"We can't do that because the Dark Lord has forbid it," Avery repeated calmly. "I suspect he wishes to keep the girl for himself once Potter is captured. I know he has special plans for the Weasley brat also. He probably doesn't want to stick his cock where everyone else's has been."

They grumbled some more about the unfairness of their assignment but Avery stayed quiet. The beginnings of a plan was forming in his head and he wanted to speak with his master as soon as possible.

"Alright, Rodolphus you stay behind and heal her. The rest of you take a break and meet me at three o'clock in Lucius' study. I am going to speak to the Dark Lord."

Rodolphus was the only one who stayed after the door was shut and locked. He worked diligently and methodically on the girl, turning her over and healing her completely. The Cruciatus curse had done a lot of damage to her body, more than the whipping she had received. Bones were broken and muscles were torn. He remembered how the Dark Lord had tortured him not too long ago after he had failed to carry out his orders to the letter.

He shook his head as he thought about how foolish he had been. A moment of weakness that had ultimately gotten him nowhere. He closed his eyes and let out a tired breath. Merlin, sometimes he just wanted to leave this place and go somewhere quiet to relax and live out his remaining days in peace.

He shook his head and went back to work. He had been ordered to kill an entire family, a wizarding family, months ago. He was fine with that. He could kill. Shit, he'd been killing for most of his life. He killed the father first naturally since fathers always wanted to protect their families. Then he disposed of the mother and the oldest son, a boy about fifteen or so.

But then he had hesitated. He pointed his wand at the little girl, a witch about four or five years old with beautiful blue eyes and an angelic face. The child's long black hair curled and framed her face and the similiarities between her and his wife were not lost on him.

She looked exactly as Bella had looked as a child. Before the Dark Lord and before Ahzkaban.

She looked like what a child of his might look like could Bella ever conceive. But, of course that would never happen. She couldn't conceive. He had never once tried to replace her either, even after Ahzkaban. He could have as was his right under wizarding law. If a man's wife could not produce an heir he could legally put her aside and find another.

The problem was that to him, Bella had been perfect in every way. While incarcerated together a protective bond had formed even though they were a couple cells apart. The three of them, including his brother, had stuck together and had never once laughed at one of the others for being weak; or for screaming and begging all through the night. After going through something like that with ones wife it would have not been an option for him to just toss her off to find another witch. Love was gone now, but in its place was a protective respect.

His brother was now responsible for producing an heir to the Lestrange estate.

Rodolphus had looked into the child's bright blue eyes and saw them well up with tears as she realized her brother and parents were dead. His wand hand wavered slightly and he stood there for an eternity it seemed, debating whether or not to kill her.

He chose not to. Then he left the house and the little girl behind.

After he had regained consciousness from his master's punishment, Rodolphus had learned that the Dark Lord himself had gone back and killed the girl. He presented Rodolphus with a present as well. One tiny chubby little finger with light pink polish on the nail.

Nobody knew that he had kept the finger, as sick as that is. He kept it in a magically protected box that only he could open. He looked at it sometimes and thought about what it represented.

His only act of mercy.

Mercy was painful. Ruthlessness was better.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Milord, I'm sure this will be an excellent plan." Avery bowed his head before his lord and master waiting for his approval.

Voldemort had heard what had happened between Dolohov and the mudblood slave and he was torn between being highly amused or furious and outraged. Dolohov had already been punished for his stupidity and weakness concerning the girl and it would be several days before he would be able to go on any missions.

Avery had a point. This girl was most stubborn, more stubborn than any of the others he had tortured. He could tell that it would be a long time before she cracked, at this rate. Or her mind would be damaged and he knew he didn't want damaged goods when she became his.

He snapped his fingers and Winksy appeared bowing low to the floor.

"Avery, you have my permission to put this plan to use, however I demand one thing. You must be one the one to do it. If it fails the sole responsibility will be on your head," he warned in a chilling voice. Avery nodded in agreement.

"Winksy, go get Sirius Black and tell him to come here at once," Voldemort ordered and with a pop she disappeared.

A few minutes later Sirius walked in looking stoic as ever though on the inside he was very worried. He still hadn't heard from Hermione and he was desperate to know what had happened to her.

He bowed his head and stood beside Avery.

"Sirius, it seems that your slave is being most difficult. She has yet to give me what I want and I find that more creative methods must be used to persuade her."

"Milord?" Sirius intoned, questioningly, feeling a slice of dread cut through him.

"The next Order meeting is tomorrow afternoon is it not?"

Sirius nodded.

"I have a task for you when you go. You are to collect samples of Potter's hair as well as the Weasley boy and bring them back to me promptly, is that clear?"

Polyjuice potion? he wondered, not liking his new task at all.

"Yes, milord," he answered, "May I ask what for?"

Voldemort narrowed his gaze on him. "You may not. All you may know is that it is part of a plan to make the mudblood tell me what I want to know. That is all," he dismissed, flicking his hand carelessly and then lowering it to stroke his pet snake, Nagini that had just slithered up.

Both men turned to leave, each mind whirring.

XXXXXXXXXX

Severus crept through the secret passageway slowly so as not to wake the paintings that were hidden along the walls. He had to get to Black quickly and there wasn't much time. He arrived at the end of the passageway and curtly told the ridiculous man in the painting the password.

"Well, I never," the man said offended at Severus' tone.

The painting swung open and Severus crept inside the room and over toward the fireplace where he saw Black sitting holding an empty bottle of firewhiskey.

He held his wand out just in case and quietly cleared his throat.

"What the--?" Sirius sat up and quickly stood, a brief flash of fear making room for disgust and anger.

"How did you get in here you bastard?" he snarled, reaching for his own wand.

Before Sirius curse Severus, the latter muttered a spell and ropes flew out to wrap themselves around Sirius' body.

"You son of a bitch! What are you doing?" Sirius shouted, struggling but to no avail. He finally gave up and just stared at Snape from the floor.

Severus smirked down at him, imaging all the wonderful and painful things he could do while Black was at his mercy. But sadly he was here for a much nobler purpose than his own personal gain. Sadly.

"You may have fooled everyone with your act, Black, but you haven't fooled me. I know where your allegiances truly lie."

Black sneered. "You know nothing," he bit out.

Snape sighed at the other man's hard-headedness. "Say what you will but I know the truth. That is why I am here. I know of the Dark Lord's plan. Will you listen to me and stay silent? If you want to help the Order you will."

Black stared at him with a lifetime of hatred and loathing, but finally he nodded, deciding that it could not do any harm to just listen.

"Good then, now, the Dark Lord has had Miss Granger tortured all day long for information on the Weasley's whereabouts and their location. Naturally she has refused even though a great deal of pain was inflicted on her today. Avery came up with a plan to gain her trust and slip information to him."

"He's going to turn into Harry or Ron," Sirius stated, interrupting him as he'd already come to that conclusion. "I've already figured this out, Snivellus."

Snape rolled his eyes and gripped his wand a tad tighter. "If you warn the Weasley's to go to safehouses for the time being then Hermione can freely let the location be known and you can set a trap."

The merits of the plan started to sink in. A Deatheater trap. That sounded good to him. Another thought worked its way into his head. "I thought Hermione couldn't tell where the location of the Burrow because of the protection spells? You know, like the ones that prevent me from telling?"

Snape started tapping a foot at the man's apparent denseness. "She can tell Potter and Weasley, Black, that's the point. They already know the location so they can freely talk to each other about it. When you leave I will send a warning to Miss Granger telling her to be on guard. While Avery is in disguise the spell will think that it is a person to be trusted."

Black slowly nodded his head in slight horror at the possibility for total chaos should Hermione slip up and tell secrets. He looked up at Snape with a different perspective. Not much, mind you, but a hint of respect that wasn't there before.

"Why are you doing this? You killed Dumbledore," he stated simply cocking his head.

Snape's face clouded over for a moment. "I have always been loyal. Just because the pieces don't _appear_ to fit the puzzle, doesn't mean that they don't. I'm sure before this war is finished everybody will know the truth." He straightened abruptly and turned to leave. "Just remember what I told you, Black. And be ready. I'll tell Hermione to give the plan a couple days at least before 'accidentally' spilling the location, but when she does, the Order needs to be already stationed."

And with that he disappeared through the passageway again.

**A/N— I wanted to ask everyone a question. I had this story originally tailored to fit a SB/HG pairing and ending, but I could also go with a Draco Malfoy/HG pairing and ending also.**

**So I was going to put it to a vote as I post this chapter. If I get enough votes for Draco I'll go with that one, but if everybody wants it to stay a Sirius pairing then I will honor that also, since that was my original pairing.**

**VOTE with your reviews everybody. Please. **


	14. Harry Potter

**A/N- sorry about the delay in updating but I had some minor issues that made writing difficult. Anyway I just wanted to say that I will be going with a SB/HG pairing. I didn't count the neutral votes, and some people didn't vote on a review. They voted on replies to reviews I had made. It was pretty close though. Don't worry I'll give Draco a satisfying ending.**

**Also, this chapter was sort of rushed so if it doesn't feel right that would be the reason why. Anyway, enjoy and I'll try and update faster next time.**

Two days passed and nothing had happened. Nobody had bothered her or questioned her during this time. When she had awakened after passing out she had looked around to see she was on a bed instead of her pallet on the floor. Of course it was a shoddy bed at best but nonetheless it was more comfortable that nothing. She had also been moved to smaller room, more like a cell.

They hadn't brought her any new clothes and so for the time being she lounged around in the nude with nothing to do but stare at cracks in the ceiling and practice her wandless magic. No matter how hard she tried she could get her gauntlets off. She knew it was futile to even try, but she felt she had to. To pass the time she practiced transfiguring little bits and pieces she found on the floor into different things. Nothing useful but it was distracting.

She wondered why they had healed her. The last thing she remembered before passing out two days prior was the cruel faces of Avery and Lucius, and their pale eyes each staring down at her as they tortured her.

Why had she been healed? They must have more horrible things in store for her, she decided with a shiver.

As if someone had heard her thoughts, the door to her room swung open and she looked over, unmoving. Rabastan and Lucius walked in talking about something she couldn't hear. She turned her head away indifferently until she felt a wand poking her shoulder.

They stood over her and levitated a tray of food over to the foot of her bed.

"Stand up," Lucius ordered in a bored voice. She did as she was told and he tossed a white bundle at her.

She looked at and shook it out. It was a plain white linen dress although not the same as the one she had worn when she had first come down here. This one looked as if it had belonged to a servant. It was plain sleeveless and worn in some places, but it would do.

She quickly slid the garment over her head and felt the rough fabric swish down her body and fall to mid calf. The hem was ragged and dirty she noticed, not really caring. She belted it around her waist and then looked blankly at the two men.

"Well, mudblood the Dark Lord has a present for you," began Rabastan, shifting his weight and looking at the door.

She made a face at the mention of the Dark Lord. She hated his presents. They were bloody and painful. Couldn't he get her a puppy or something?

"Yes, during our raid last night it would seem that something very valuable was caught—or should I say, _someone_ very valuable."

Her throat went dry at his words. They had caught someone? Who?

"What do you mean? Who did you capture?" she demanded her voice trembling slightly.

Both of their smiles broadened. "Why, the very person the Dark Lord has been most anxious to get his hands on all the years. Did you honestly think that a mere boy of seventeen could outwit us? Could defeat the most powerful wizard in the world?" Lucius sneered down at her pale face as he saw his words sinking in to her brain.

No. It couldn't be, she denied desperately. Not Harry. They couldn't have caught Harry. He was too well protected.

"I know what you are thinking, but you are wrong. The boy was foolish and tried to be brave instead of staying with his precious Order. After the Weasley boy and Potter decided to break away in a stupid attempt to find out what had happened to you, it was all too easy to capture him."

His words were crashing around her head and she couldn't process them anymore. "What about Ron? What happened to him?"

Rabastan and Lucius shrugged. "He might have escaped or he might have plunged to his death; either way this war will soon be over now. The Dark Lord is keeping Potter alive for the time being to question and for other uses, but soon he will dead along with the remains of your pathetic Order of the Phoenix."

Lucius moved to the side suddenly. "Be thankful for one thing. The Dark Lord has allowed Potter to visit you until his presence is longer required. Would you like to see him?"

She swallowed and nodded carefully. "What do I have to do first?" she asked warily looking up at him.

He laughed and shook his head. "Nothing I assure you. Rodolphus bring the boy in," he called standing beside the door.

She stood in trepidation praying that this was a joke. As much as she wanted to see Harry again, she did not want it to be under these circumstances. Now who would defeat the Dark Lord?

Rodolphus shoved a tall black haired boy in to her cell. Her heart leapt in her throat. It was Harry. He straightened himself up and turned to glare at Rodolphus who only laughed and filled the doorway with his frame.

Then Harry turned to look around and caught the eye of Hermione.

"Oh, Harry," she murmured and flung her arms around him. She felt him stiffen for a moment and heard the snickers from the other three but she didn't care. She felt him relax and then his arms came around her and hugged her tightly. She pressed her face against his chest and felt better than she had in months. She felt like she was home again.

"Alright, as much as I would love to stay and watch this disgusting display of mudblood love, I have better things to do," Rabastan announced playfully shoving his brother aside so that he could leave. "Lucius are you coming or do you want to watch?"

Lucius glared at his friend and all three of them walked out with the parting words, "Have fun mudblood."

Harry patted her on the back and then gently pulled her away from him. "Hermione, I've missed you so much. I'm sorry I got caught but I just couldn't stand not doing anything to try and find you."

Hermione smiled and walked over to her bed. "I know. You and Ron are so impetuous." Her smiled faded quickly. "Harry, you have to get out of here. If you die then there is no hope left. You're the only one who can defeat Voldemort."

She thought she saw some sort of flicker behind those green eyes she knew so well, but she dismissed it. "You look good," she frowned, raking over his body with her eyes.

He laughed and cocked an eyebrow. "Should I apologize?" He walked over and took a seat on her bed using her pillow as a prop.

She shook her head and sat on bed too, leaning against the wall with her legs tucked up underneath her. "No, no that's not what I meant. I just wondered why they haven't tortured you, that's all. Of course I always thought that Voldemort would kill you immediately if he ever got his hands on you also. Did," she hesitated and bit her lip, "did you hear anything about what is going to happen to you?"

Harry shook his head and sighed. "I was hoping maybe you had heard something. I've only been here for a day."

"No the last time I saw anybody was two days ago when they were--," she cut off not wanting to cause her friend any more pain by telling him she was tortured. "when they were asking me questions about the whereabouts of headquarters."

His eyes narrowed at her suspiciously. "What did they do to you, Hermione? Did they torture you?"

She forced a laugh and shook her head. "Not really, Harry. They just asked me questions and hit me a few times but that was it."

"You are lying," he said flatly looking away. "I thought we were better friends than that. I got captured to try and save you remember?"

She felt like crying again. The sharp tone in his voice was almost too much for her. "Oh, Harry I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to feel guilty about things you can't control. You always do that and I just didn't want you to have to worry about anything else." She grabbed his hand and pleaded with him to understand.

His eye softened and he smiled at her. "I'm sorry too. Of course you were trying to protect me, but I am an adult now and I just need you to be honest with me, okay?" His eyes bored into hers and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Harry, you've grown up since I saw you last," she said finally.

He moved restlessly against the pillow, his eyes roaming around the room. "So, did you tell them where the Order's headquarters are located?"

She shook her head. "Of course not Harry. I would never tell those bastards anything. They did torture me for awhile but thankfully at the end I passed out. Avery and Lucius decided to tag team me with the Cruciatus. Let me tell you it is not pleasant," she joked with a laugh and shuddered remembering how much pain she had been in.

He looked at her incredulously. "You shouldn't joke about things like that, Hermione. They could do worse to you, you know," he cautioned still looking at her oddly.

She felt her temper rise at his warnings. "You think I don't know that?" she snapped, looking at him angrily. "I know exactly what they could do to me, but I don't care. You've been here for one day, Harry, try it for two months and then you can lecture me about joking about their torture methods."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything. Finally, he opened his mouth. "Hermione, I'm sorry I offended you. I just don't want you to get hurt even more than you already have been."

She looked uneasily at him. "What did Sirius tell you?"

He shrugged. "He didn't really tell us much. Just that a lot of students were captured and that some of the older ones are being used as, you know." He looked at her silently for a moment. "Could you tell me what has been going on since you were captured? I've been going out of my mind with worry."

She sighed and started picking at her dress. "Fine. I guess you know about all the students that were captured the night Dumbledore died," she looked sideways at him knowing how upset he still must be. His eyes closed for a moment and he looked away. "Well, I suppose the younger children were put to work in the kitchens and such, but there were seven of us that were separated and sent to the fifth floor. One of the younger girls was killed the first night for going hysterical." She hadn't thought about that in a long time.

"Anyway, it's me, Pavarti, Lavender, Katie Bell, a girl named Shannon Teagues, a seventh year girl that I don't really know her name, and a girl from Hufflepuff," she said the last part darkly and Harry looked over in amusement.

"I take it you don't like the girl from Hufflepuff?"

"Well, besides the fact that she is dumber than Goyle, and she is, believe me Harry, besides all that she turned into a little traitor-spy-bitch," she fumed throwing up her hands and glaring at him.

Harry folded his hands across his chest and looked expectantly at her. "How do you mean?"

She calmed herself down enough to talk again. "Okay, well I'll get to that part soon. First of all, on the first night we were here Voldemort gave me to someone as a reward for their success at breaking into Hogwarts."

"Who was it?"

"Well, don't get mad, but it was the Malfoy family." She cringed expecting a huge blowup and looked over when nothing happened.

Harry looked suitably angry but was staring at her with his normal questioning gaze. Oh dear, he was in shock, she decided and continued with her story.

"Well, I was their personal slave for about two months until Lucius really started to lose it. Voldemort got angry at him and decided to give me to someone else. The night my parents were killed was the night I was given to Sirius," she said quietly remembering that awful night.

"How does Sirius treat you?"

She hesitated wanting to tell him everything she knew about Kingsley and Remus and Sirius, but she held back for his sake. "He's fine really. I got lucky actually. Lucius was horrible," she shivered, "but Sirius treats me well. He can't in front of people of course, but in private he pretty much leaves me alone."

Harry sat up and took one of her hands again. She looked over at him and waited. "I want you to promise me that you won't withhold information from them if when they come to torture you again. For my sake just promise me that you'll tell them whatever they want to know. Please Hermione," Harry pleaded his green eyes looking at her and weakening her resolve.

She shook her head finally. "No Harry. I would never do that. Would you? Would you just give up everything you've ever believed in because someone was hurting you?" She looked at him sadly and watched as he rubbed a thumb along his bottom lip thoughtfully. It must be a new habit, she thought.

"No," he said finally. His voice was quiet.

She sighed and reached over to brush some of his black hair out of his eyes. He jerked back surprised. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I just don't want you to be depressed during our time together."

He gave her a half smile and regarded her thoughtfully. He was so different, she realized. Hardly the same boy as the one she had left. "Do you know if Ron is okay?" she asked suddenly.

"I'm afraid I didn't see what happened to him, but I heard some of the guards talking and he wasn't captured. He's probably still alive," he assured her.

She nodded. "I'm sure he is." She didn't really know if she believed that or not.

Harry stretched. "So tell me about this girl that you hate. What has she done that is so bad?"

Hermione immediately grimaced. "Well, like I said before the seven of us live on the fifth floor in a harem of sorts. It's pathetic really, but I wouldn't expect anything more from Deatheaters," she sneered clenching her fists. "Anyway, a pattern sort of developed. Usually the same Deatheater would take the same girl. I could only be taken by the Malfoy family or by someone that Lucius or Draco approved, but the rest were at the mercy of everyone."

She looked over and saw that he listening and wondered how he was so calm. The old Harry would have been flying off the handle right now. Maybe getting captured has taught him a lesson, she mused.

"Anyway, Pavarti is almost always with the Lestrange brothers, Katie is usually with Goyle, Shannon has been with a few—Dolohov, Nott, etc., Lavender I think is with Nott now, and the others are sort of a free for all," she was very uncomfortable referring to her classmates in such callous terms, but it was simpler this way. "Well, anyway the Hufflepuff girl—I don't even know her name—from the start was always chosen by Avery. Do you remember him from the Department of Mysteries?"

Harry shook his head. "How do you remember him? I thought you occupied by Dolohov the entire time?"

She shrugged. "I was but I still managed to look around and catalog every face that was familiar. During school I researched every known Deatheater from the first war and learned as much about them as I could. I should think you would do the same, Harry," she admonished in her lecture voice.

Harry smiled. "What can I say, Hermione? I'm an idiot. I really only defeated Voldemort the first time by pure luck. And now here I've gone and got myself captured."

Hermione frowned at him. "It was not luck Harry. Your mother died to save you that night. It was a choice that gave the wizarding world thirteen years reprieve from this madness. You are not idiot. You are just stubborn and impetuous sometimes," she sighed leaning her head back against the stone wall.

Harry looked at her oddly and then shrugged.

She sighed and figured she should just continue with her story. "Anyway, back to Avery. He always picked that girl but until recently he never did anything sexually with her. It was weird," she frowned. "Of course, he _is _weird so I guess that fits. Anyway he has her spying on us. She believes that he actually cares for her and so she tells him whatever he wants to know. It's disgusting really, and dangerous, for her and us," she sneered disdain.

"Well, maybe she's afraid of him," Harry reasoned logically.

Hermione frowned. "No, that's not it. She told me herself that she likes him because he doesn't hurt her as often as the rest of us get hurt. I tried to explain to her that he was just fucking with her head, but she told me I was jealous and to mind my own business."

"Hmm, are you?"

She swung her head around in total surprise and for a minute Harry thought that she was about to have a fit. "Are you insane? Was that an actual question or a very poor joke?"

Harry shrugged. "Sorry. Of course I was joking. I just wondered, maybe Avery isn't as bad as he you think he is."

She was almost speechless by this comment. "Of course he's as bad as I think he is, Harry. Everything about him gives me the creeps. I feel the way a deer must feel when it's being stalked by a lion. The hair on my neck literally rises just from being in close proximity with him. And," she hesitated at this part wondering if she should tell Harry about her wandless magic. What if the Deatheaters use Legilimens on him and see that she told him? Best keep it quiet for now, she decided.

Harry who had previously looked rather pleased and annoyed at the same time, now looked at her curiously, waiting for her to continue. "And what?"

Well, she could tell him a little bit, she reasoned. "Nothing, he's just so irritatingly perceptive that it's creepy. I think he knows things about me that I'd rather he didn't."

He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, very concerned. "Like what?"

"Just things," she shrugged, uneasily.

Harry sighed. "Hermione, you need to be careful. Who knows when you'll be able to get out of here, and until then you should just do whatever you can to stay alive. I mean it. I don't know what I'd do without you," he said solemnly, deciding to take one of her hands all of a sudden. He noticed that she visibly relaxed when he touched her.

She nodded. "I promise I will, but I won't do anything that will endanger more people than just myself. Besides, I can escape soon and then we'll be together again with Ron and the others." She leaned back against the wall beside him and looped an arm through his.

Harry turned to her just then rather interested. "You have a plan to escape?"

She hesitated again. Something was nagging at her, telling her not to say too much. "Well, it's not that simple. I wouldn't want to escape by myself. I want to take everyone else with me too, at least the girls on the fifth floor. Everyone except the Hufflepuff girl can go. I would take her but," she chuckled, "that would involve persuading Avery to release her gauntlets. I doubt he would oblige."

He nodded. "Yes, I doubt he would too. Anyway, you hate her. If she's as bad as you say she doesn't deserve to leave this place."

She looked at him shocked. "Harry, how could say that? It's not really her fault. I think he brainwashed her or something."

Harry interrupted her all of a sudden. "You said he hadn't done anything to her sexually until recently. How could you tell this? Does she talk to you?" He looked at her seriously waiting for her answer.

Hermione gave a weak shrug. "I just could. The last time I saw her she looked different, like something had happened to make her grow up. Her expression was strained and I just got the impression that maybe he wasn't being as _platonic_ as he used to anymore. Anyway she's so far gone that she probably wouldn't leave now even if she could."

Harry looked at her intently. "I never realized how perceptive you are. But, you really shouldn't judge people in these kinds of circumstances. She isn't as intelligent as you are so she doesn't have your advantages, Hermione." His green eyes bored into hers and made her feel incredibly guilty. "Haven't you done anything since you have been here that you knew was wrong, but you did it anyway to survive."

Hermione shrugged but still felt bad about hercomments. "Maybe. I guess you have a point." She still didn't like the girl though.

She looked at him suspiciously. "You seem really different, Harry. Usually I'm the one lecturing you about all things moral."

"Well, you know, the war and all that," he said vaguely. "I guess I've changed a bit."

Hermione laughed all of a sudden. "I can't believe we've spent the entire time talking about a Deatheater. I guess nothing changes does it?"

He looked at her amused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we talk about war and Deatheaters all the time and I just figured that after spending two months apart we would have a broader range of subjects to discuss."

He laughed with her too, though it was strained, as if he hadn't laughed in a long time.

"So," he started, "which Deatheaters do you think we need to watch out for if we try to escape? I mean you've been around them more than I have now."

She relaxed her head into the crook of his arm and she wondered why he seemed so uncomfortable. They had always had a touch-feely relationship and it had never meant anything. Maybe it was because of Ginny, she realized and blushed awkwardly as she remembered her best friends girlfriend. She went to get up and he must have realized he made her feel weird because he firmly put her head back down.

Okay, she thought. She forgot how hormonal and odd teenage boys were. What was his question again? Oh, yeah.

"Deatheaters, right, well," she paused, thinking over every Deatheater that she had me so far. "Well, the two that I think are most dangerous regardless of our gender would be Bellatrix and Avery. Oh and maybe Mulciber. He doesn't really have a taste for older girls," she remembered, almost choking on bile that had risen in her throat.

Harry looked pleased at her assessment so far so she continued. "Well, for you Dolohov would be a challenge, but I could easily distract him. Anything with breasts could distract him," she said smirking, "and he is especially sore where I am concerned."

Harry scowled and she hurriedly put his fears to rest. "Don't worry, he never tried anything. He just has this weird obsession with me ever since he almost killed me at the Ministry. That makes him vulnerable and easily distracted."

She thought again. "Lucius Malfoy, although off his rocker, is still a formidable foe, but his major weakness is his pride. He is easily angered if you know the right buttons to push. Of course there's the Lestrange brothers. There would be a minimal chance of escaping them, along with Snape. Macnair is old and out of shape, so he probably could be physically overcome, which is odd because you'd think an executioner would have more muscle." She shrugged. "Anyway, with the right spells we could beat him. Crabbe and Goyle are easy targets obviously, as well as Yaxley, Wormtail, and Rookwood, and the other lesser Deatheaters."

Harry was staring at her intently and she wondered if perhaps he was hit on the head when he was captured. He was making her sort of nervous with all of his staring.

"Are you all right, Harry? I'm sorry, that's all I could think of." She grew uneasy when he didn't answer her.

There was something not right about him. He wasn't himself. Was he under the Imperius? she wondered and leaned closer to his face to peer into his eyes. They looked normal, she decided and started to lean back when she felt a light feathery brush of fingers on her cheek.

Her eyes widened. Why was Harry caressing her face? What about Ginny? Nervously, she stared at him.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

He looked slightly confused for just a moment and then smoothly recovered. "What do you mean?," he purred, running a finger over a curl. "As close as we are, I didn't think it would be odd for me to want to touch you. Especially since we may not make it out of here alive."

She was about to remind him that their relationship was straightly platonic, but something stopped her. A suspicion that had been forming for the last few minutes or so. She bit back her response and smiled lightly.

"Of course it isn't. You are my best friend."

His eyes narrowed slightly at her. "Are we not more than just friends, Hermione?" He inched slightly closer to her face.

Was Harry admitting to having deeper feelings for her because he figured he was about to die? Or was this an imposter sent to extract information from her in the form of her best friend and supposed boyfriend?

She was starting to feel like it may be the latter.

Suddenly the cell door banged open and Lucius, Rabastan, and Rodolphus walked in snickering at the sight of them so close.

"Alright boy, get up. You have an appointment with the Dark Lord, Potter," Lucius said pointing his wand at Harry who slowly getting up.

Hermione watched him walk away form and she suddenly bolted off the bed. She had to know if it was Harry or not.

"Wait, Harry," she breathed her heart pounding in her chest. "Just a moment."

All three Deatheaters turned and Harry stopped to look back at her with a blank expression on his face.

She hesitated for a moment, then plunged ahead. "Aren't you going to give me a kiss goodbye?" she asked brazenly.

The others laughed and Harry glared at them in apparent embarrassment.

"Oh, by all means, _Potter_," Rabastan laughed, "go get her."

Harry sighed and came back to her while she held her breath. He regarded her slowly for a moment and then bent his head to give her a kiss on…

The lips. Her heart sank even as her body responded to the kiss. Feeling angry, she opened her mouth and let his tongue slowly caress hers. She wondered who she was kissing and felt some sort of angry satisfaction that whoever it was, he was kissing a 'mudblood' against his will.

One hand wound through 'Harry's' messy black hair and her other traveled up to rest on his chest. He seemed to be struggling with it at first but then relaxed and roughly claimed her mouth with his own. She felt a hand raking through her hair and smirked to herself.

Harry did not kiss like this. She had seen him kiss Ginny before. Whoever it was, she thought, he's a good kisser. She didn't want to think about who it was because a part of her already knew.

Harry broke the kiss off and she smiled innocently up at him. Oh, he looked really annoyed, she noted maliciously. Good. The scheming little bastard.

"Alright, alright. You've had enough now let's go," Lucius ordered smirking at her, probably thinking about how superior he was compared to her.

Well, she could play that game. She was only glad she hadn't given away any vital information today. Later she would pick apart everything she said that could possibly used against her, but for now she just waved a hand at Harry's retreating form and waited for them to come back for more torture.

The door slammed shut and she was once again left with her thoughts.

She racked her brain for hours until she was sure that she had said nothing dangerous about the Order. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she remembered what she said about the Deatheaters. Well, hopefully those opinions wouldn't come back to haunt her.

She also would have to vilify Sirius more just in case they thought he wasn't abusing her enough, and she would have to carefully watch what she said.

But that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun with the imposter (who she was sure was Avery—Macnair's voice was too harsh and raspy) in the meantime. She would let them see that she could not be so easily broken.

Footsteps and voices alerted to the fact that someone was approaching. Time for more fun, she thought grimly.

Only four of them came this time, Dolohov obviously wasn't coming back and Macnair was absent as well. Lucius stepped forward this time and she darted a curious glance over to Avery. Malfoy must be in charge this time. Maybe Avery was worried about how his friend was being perceived by others. How thoughtful of him.

"Well, mudblood together again. Have a nice visit?" Lucius asked smiling.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, it was lovely," she responded drily, picking a piece of lint off her dress and flicking it.

"You two certainly looked cozy, I must say. But I would expect a filthy mudblood like you to have no sense of decency." He sneered in disdain at her and gripped his cane tighter.

She gave him a false smile and looked up. "Well, sir I guess I'm just fortunate that the person _I_ love actually _welcomes_ my advances."

His face flushed and his eyes narrowed at her extremely thinly veiled insult. Everyone knew that Narcissa was not speaking to him and that he couldn't even touch her unless he wanted to force himself on her—which he would never do…to her. Only to people like Hermione.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Avery looking at Lucius speculatively as if he was just noticing how easily his friend was distracted by his pride and family.

Then Lucius relaxed and smiled coldly. "No matter. I wonder how long your precious Potter will stay alive to welcome those disgusting advances of yours. If you tell us what we want to know, maybe his life will be spared."

She glared. "I doubt it."

He shrugged and they began to remove their shirts again, each one taking his wand out.

Crucio.

Crucio.

Crucio. Crucio. Crucio.

It went on forever it seemed like. Every time she passed out, they would magically wake her back up and heal her so that they could continue.

She was a heap on the floor just a few hours later. Her face was bruised and at least two bones were broken. She coughed but immediately stopped as the pain was too great. She no longer tried to smother her own screams. There was no humanly way that she would be able to.

This time nobody healed her when it was over. They simply kicked her out of their way and left, laughing the entire time. She barely registered this fact as the darkness threatened to overtake her.

She felt cool fingers touching her face and forcing a liquid down her throat. She wanted immediately vomit but a deep voice warned her not to. Then she was being laid on something soft, well, softer than the stone floor anyway.

She opened her eyes and recognized Snape's face hovering directly above hers. His eyes were so black it almost seemed as he were not human. There was however some flicker of emotion darting around in their depths so she was fairly confident that he was.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Miss Granger, I know Potter was brought to your cell today, but don't trust him. It isn't the real Potter, it's Avery in disguise."

She nodded slightly and he drew back a little.

"You knew?"

She gave another weak nod. "Not until the end, but don't worry, I didn't say anything important."

He looked surprised for a moment. "I would have been here sooner but the Dark Lord detained me for the entire day and I could not get away until now. He has become very paranoid as of late. I can only heal your bones I'm afraid. They want to keep you in agony for awhile. Avery should be coming to visit you again in the morning, but this time you must tell him where the headquarters are located. Do you understand? _Only _where the headquarters are located."

She looked at him again confused.

He gestured impatiently. "I believe you have already guessed my true allegiances, Miss Granger. Give away the location the next time they come to torture you. The house will empty when the Dark Lord's followers arrive, I assure you." He glanced over his shoulder just then and hastily rose.

"Remember my words." And then he was gone.

Was her instincts right? Could Snape be trusted? True, they had made a deal earlier and he hadn't given away her secrets to Voldemort, but still. It was a big leap to just blindly betray the Order based on a plan she knew nothing about, told to her by a person nobody trusted.

But, if she complied with his request and they managed to capture Deatheaters, then it would be a victory for their side. It would further weaken Voldemort.

What should she do?

She was so tired of everything. Tired of lying, tired of pain and torture, tired of thinking, and tired of men in general. She just wanted to go to sleep and forget about everything for a few hours. She closed her eyes and let the peaceful calm blackness erase everything.

She would need all of her wits about her if she were to face Avery again in the morning.


	15. Resisting Anything But Temptation

**Disclaimer-I own nothing.**

**A/N- Sorry for dragging ass this week. I really was having motivation issues. ******** I added things in this chapter purely for my own selfish need. I wasn't going to have her do certain things, but I made her do them anyway. Enjoy!**

Hermione groaned as the heavy iron door opened and a black robed figure strode into the cell. It was Lucius, as usual, with his same arrogant smirk plastered across his face. Oh how she longed for the day when she could wipe it off. Revenge would be so sweet.

After him, a black haired boy was shoved in rather ungracefully and she inwardly snickered at the treatment Avery was enduring all to find out her secrets. She would bet that he had never entered a room ungracefully in his life. His now green eyes sought her out and she saw the dutiful concern flash over them.

"Hermione! What have they done to you?" He walked over and she could see that this time he was bloodied up a bit. If it wouldn't have hurt she would have rolled her eyes. He was putting on a slightly better performance than yesterday.

Lucius walked back toward the door and paused. "Well, mudblood enjoy your time together while you can. The Dark Lord is growing impatient and we all know what happens when he doesn't get what he wants." He smiled cruelly at her.

"Yeah," she murmured weakly not even able to raise her head up off the thin pillow at the moment, "he tortures his followers. Because he knows that they will never leave him."

"Well, that is the mark of true loyalty, slave. Not that you would know about such things. You're just a little girl." He left and slammed the door and making her wince.

She weakly scooted over to make room for Harry on the bed. He slid gently in beside her and began to lightly stroke her hair. It should have chilled her to the bone to realize that it was really Avery doing this but she was too exhausted and sick to be afraid.

Harry watched as she slowly lifted her arm and wiggled it.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Seeing if it is all the way healed or not. I broke it yesterday during my Deatheater play date. Only they must be under pressure from Voldemort or something because there was less fun and more torture this time," she joked tiredly, laying her arm across Harry's abdomen.

She noticed his unconscious tensing and curved her mouth into a tiny smile. It was a small victory that she could make him feel uncomfortable. Alright, time to start. She exhaled a breath and then forced herself to slowly sit up. Her long disheveled brown hair dangled over Harry's arm and he fingered it in slow fascination.

"Are sure you can sit up? You look awful, Hermione." He placed an appropriately caring hand on her shoulder and turned his oh-so-concerned green eyes toward her face.

"Of course I'm fine. I think they must be losing their touch or something because I can hardly feel any pain." She triumphantly noticed his face flash with annoyance. Small victories.

"I'm joking Harry. Trying to lighten the mood. Of course I'm pain but it's not like _that_ is anything new. Besides," she murmured in a low voice, slowly climbing over him until her knees were on either side of his thighs. "I have something I want to tell you." She saw the merest flicker of panic in his eyes before it was replaced with…something. She didn't really care. She wondered how much trouble he would get into if she initiated anything sexual.

"Hermione I don't really think you're in the proper state to be exerting yourself in this manner," he protested, placing his hands over both of her thighs. His eyes belied his voice however and for the first time, she saw undeniable desire in his eyes… and Harry's… for her. It was strange.

"Don't worry Harry _darling_, I'm not going to _rape_ you," she teased, with a slight edge to her voice, "I just want to be able to touch you before they take you away again." She paused and glanced off to the floor for a moment, seemingly in the midst of an internal battle. Then she took a deep breath and schooled her face into a guilty, apologetic one.

"I've decided that I'm going to tell them where the Burrow is located," she informed taking careful note of his reaction.

Very brief emotions flitted across his face. First there was surprise, then relief, then triumph, then curiosity. Then his face was finally schooled into one of sadness and grief. "Hermione, I know how difficult this decision is for you, but I'm glad. I can't stand to see them hurt you anymore. You're too beautiful to die," he whispered brushing a finger across her cheek. "Even now, especially now," he said with more force.

She looked at him flatly, assessing his responses. "Why especially now? Because of the improvements that were made when I came here?" she asked mockingly, daring him to say anything different.

He was a Deatheater so of course he dared. He rolled his eyes. "Hermione, you don't really look that much different. Of course your hair is darker and less wild, but other than that you look the same to me. I meant especially now, when you look disheveled and bloodied a bit." He picked a fuzzy piece of lint out of her hair and she stared at him incredulously.

"Harry, have I ever told you how incredibly odd you are?" She really meant Avery. What a weirdo. "I mean something's wrong when I look better in the aftermath of torture than before. If I ever get out of here you'll have to 'crucio' me before every date," she laughed, really feeling like the pain had started to go to her head.

Harry shook his head and muttered something about the effects of the curse on certain people's brains. He was caught off guard when she abruptly leaned down closer to his face.

"You know, I was suspicious of you at first."

His eyes narrowed but he gave nothing away. "Really?"

"Yes. You weren't acting like yourself and when you think about it, what better way to loosen my _tongue_ than to toss my be-boyfriend in here with me?" He could interpret that anyway he chose. "But I guess I wouldn't be acting like myself either if I were you. Still, it wasn't until the end that I was totally convinced."

He did remarkably well at keeping the suspicion off his face. "What made you trust me?"

She shrugged. "I just realized that there was practically no one here that would be able to pass off the disguise for as long as you did—if you weren't you that is," she added. No sense in making him believe she was still suspicious of him.

He looked at her speculatively and she really wanted to hit him when his eyes seemed to be laughing at her. "Really? There's no one in this place who could pull off Harry Potter? What about Lucius? He's a very sneaky bastard when it suits him."

She laughed. "Yeah Lucius _could_ do it if he were to ever take that cane out of his ass. And the sneer off his face. I mean honestly Harry, if I ever saw you sneering I think that would be the thing to do me in."

Harry looked like he wanted to choke and laugh at the same time. He settled for neither. "Well, there's always Bellatrix."

"_In-_sane. I really don't want to hear you cackle and look adoringly at Voldemort either. That too might kill me."

"Macnair?"

"A Neanderthal."

"Rodolphus?"

She looked serious for a moment. "You know I think he actually might be able to pull it off. He'd have to lighten up a tad bit first, but then you're so moody nowadays it might not matter."

He grinned and she felt an odd sort of tug at her heart. This is not Harry, she reminded herself firmly. This is a cold blooded killer you're straddling.

"Rabastan?"

She made a face. "God, if I have to hear about how _cute_ he is one more time I will seriously puke. I mean do the words 'slave' and 'prisoner' and 'torture' mean nothing anymore? Honestly." It was true. The girls upstairs, except for Pavarti, all talked about how good looking he was no matter how hard she tried persuade them otherwise. Pavarti never even talked anymore so she wasn't much help.

He chuckled. "Okay, well there is always Avery." He looked at her cautiously and more seriously as if willing her not say anything derogatory about him.

She would mostly oblige. Why not stroke a little ego while she was at it? Maybe it would help her later, though she highly doubted it.

"Avery," she purred looking deep into his eyes. She definitely saw a flicker of desire again. So, he liked hearing his name from her lips? What egotistical narcissist, she snorted inwardly.

"Yes, Avery could probably pull it off as well. He would probably be best for the job actually. He doesn't seem bothered by the same things other people are. But I wonder," she mused quietly settling back on his legs, "if he would be able to stand it if I did this." She slid her hands up her best friend/enemy's chest and let her fingers graze his neck. He laid perfectly still and watched her very carefully.

"My mudblood impurities and all that," she murmured. "Or if he would let me do this." She lowered her lips to the smooth sensitive bit of skin at the base of his throat, where his shoulder met his neck and lightly grazed it. Without warning, she bit down harder than what she would deem comfortable.

He involuntarily moaned and she felt his fingernails dig painfully into the tops of her thighs. He really enjoyed pain, she realized licking her lips and tasting his slightly salty skin on them. He forced her back from him, drawing a ragged breath and she could tell he was getting angry and frustrated. Evidence of his frustration was now pressing hard underneath her. She smiled and sat back gently feeling his hips rise slightly against her.

"Hermione," he cleared his throat and she applauded his control. His voice barely shook at all. "We really shouldn't do this. If the others come back, they might see you and--,"

She cut him off amusedly. "You're right. Besides, I know that you're incredibly inexperienced. At least you were before I was captured," she said, noticing how very alluring Harry's eyes looked when he was aroused. Like a stormy lagoon. They were now fighting to keep the annoyance out of them at the mention of 'his' inexperience. Very narcissistic.

"Well, I'm saving myself for, you know—marriage or something," he mumbled, sounding for the first time like an actual embarrassed teenaged boy. It must be killing him to say these things, she though gleefully.

"Marriage, children?" she mocked, tracing his jawline with a fingernail. "How many do you want?"

"Children?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, marriages. Of course children."

He shrugged clearly not comfortable with the sentimental direction the conversation was taking. He darted glances at the door, she noticed with amusement. "I guess however many my wife would want. One or two sounds okay, I guess. How many brats do you plan on popping out?" he asked in a very new aggravated voice, his sweet and concerned façade slipping for the moment.

She grew serious at his question and sat up abruptly. He hadn't ever seen so much hate pour into her eyes as he did right then. He cocked his head to the side.

"What is it?"

Her hate filled eyes turned to him and he was taken aback for a moment. He had grown comfortable with her easy manner and now was instantly on guard. She smiled a mocking angry smile and brushed aside a lock of that blasted hair that had fallen into his eyes.

"Well, _Harry_, I can't _have_ children anymore."

He was surprised though he knew he shouldn't be. He should be happy that her kind wasn't going to spreading its filth anytime soon. "Why not?"

She sighed and slid off of him to lay back on the bed beside him. "Lucius. Who else? I don't really think you would want to hear the details. I certainly don't want to tell you."

They laid there in complete silence for a few minutes. Then Hermione decided to speak.

"So do you think I should tell them what they want to know before or after the torture?"

She felt his head turn to look at her. "Why does it matter? I mean--I don't understand what you're asking."

"Well, if I tell them the location beforehand they might just try all sorts of new things on me that they hadn't tried before. I think they wanted to leave me with some semblance of speech otherwise it would be pointless. If I wait then they might be satisfied and leave me alone."

"Do you think they will kill you?"

She shook her head. "No. Voldemort won't let them do that. As of yet he hasn't even let them rape me or anything."

He shifted his posture so that he was laying on one side with his head propped up. Asshole. "What makes you think Voldemort is protecting you?"

"Well, he told me his plans for me should he win. He's not really protecting me per se, as much as he is trying to protect his interests. I'm supposed to be made an example of after you are killed by becoming his personal slave."

A suitably disgusted look crossed her 'best friend's' face at her comment.

"He knows that Lucius never let anyone have me and now I'm Sirius' slave. I think he doesn't want to dip his quill in the same mudblood inkwell that has had all sorts of _other_ quills in it, if you know what I mean. Although," she added, "I'm not naïve enough to think that he wouldn't ever pass me around. After I longer amuse him… who knows?"

"A lot of females don't survive a night with him," he murmured.

She shrugged. "I don't really think that he will let me die so easily, but if I do, oh well. It's not as if I would actually want to live after that."

He shook his head. "You should always want to live."

Now there was a true Deatheater statement. "You never answered my question, Harry."

He thought for a moment as if in some sort of debate. She smiled again for small little victories. "I think you should wait for about five or ten minutes and then give up and tell them. From what I heard last night, you'll be able to go back to your room and they will leave you alone."

She wondered if he was telling the truth or not.

"But, you know if you have some sort of plan in mind or if you are going to lie, I think you'll be in even worse trouble. Why are you giving in all of a sudden?"

"Well, I have been thinking about it and I just can't really take anymore. Besides, I haven't even eaten today yet. I'm weak right now. And a part of me is hoping that the Order will have been smart enough to go somewhere else especially now that you've been captured. They must know what a liability you are right now, I mean you're one of the Burrow's secret keepers. Who ever you decide to tell would be able to find it." She shrugged. "I'm sort of just winging it at the moment."

He was silent and she could see the wheels in his head turning. He was now wondering if the location would even be useful if there was no one there. Why had she told him that? Was she trying to soften the blow a bit for some strange reason? Was she trying to make things easier on herself once they found out it was trap?

But, she reasoned, he doesn't know that I know his true identity. He believes I am acting under false beliefs. To him the Order doesn't actually have any reason to flee because Harry was still with them, safe and sound.

"It's almost time for them to come and get me," he announced, "They'll probably wait about an hour before coming for you so be ready."

She didn't bother to ask how he knew this, because well, she already knew. But, why was he giving her this extra information? Why was he trying to warn her? He was so confusing.

Suddenly she found herself pushed more firmly onto her back and Harry Potter's face loomed above her. She felt a flicker of fear jolt through her. Was he going to try something now that he thought he had won? He eased his weight onto her and braced himself on one forearm. The other stroked her hair away from her face.

What was it with him and stroking?

"If this is to be our last meeting then I think it should be memorable."

"Somehow I don't think this is the last time we shall see each other," she whispered, a thrilling ribbon of fear coursing through, knowing it was Avery, the one person besides Voldemort whom she truly feared, on top of her. She really _had _been scarred for life.

He looked at her oddly and then ran a thumb over her bottom lip causing the split to reopen painfully. He dipped his head and licked the scarlet droplets that formed in the center. She really couldn't help herself and before his tongue could leave her lip she opened her mouth and quickly captured it, wrapping her lips around and gently sucking until she released it. She let her teeth painfully graze his bottom lip and instantly felt his cock harden against her thigh.

An exquisitely painful feeling of lust coiled in her lower abdomen and felt his lips capture hers. For such a controlled, calm man he certainly kissed intensely and ruthlessly without any semblance of romance or seduction. It was pure and adulterated pain and pleasure with him.

She angled her head so that he could have less restricted access to her mouth and felt him toss the glasses off his face and somewhere on to the floor. She ran her hands up under his t-shirt and felt the lean sinewy muscle that flexed under his smooth adolescent skin. Her fingers lightly tickled his back as he licked and stroked her tongue and without warning she raked her nails down hard against his smooth flesh.

He trembled and had to still himself momentarily before continuing. She felt his hand release its grip on her hair and travel down to her shoulder, effectively sliding the strap of her dress off. Her breast puckered in the slightly chilly dungeon air until his hand covered it, kneading and squeezing almost painfully. She held her breath when his mouth left hers to latch onto her nipple.

She really hoped he wouldn't bite it off. He didn't. He sucked and nibbled and laved with his tongue, traveling over its entirety leaving his marks. They were painful but felt so good at the same time. She moaned and gasped when his fingers slid her dress up her thigh and found the juncture between them. His hot fingers against her smooth bare flesh made her shake with need.

She didn't care that this was wrong. Sex was sometimes the _only_ time she would ever be touched in a semi-caring way. A person couldn't live with only being hit and tortured all the time. It drove one mad. You had to take it where you could.

Instead of the usual one finger, he brutally entered her with two. She bucked against his hand not knowing if she wanted to scream in pain or pleasure. She chose a mixture of both, raking her fingernails over his scalp. She couldn't take anymore. Her hands quickly traveled down to the front of his pants where she made quick work of the button and zipper.

His cock sprang free and for the first time she felt him hesitate. No, she moaned inwardly, don't stop now. Any torture you get later from Voldemort will be worth it, I promise. To brush away any lingering doubts, she began to stroke his length with firm practiced movements, wondering if he liked pain everywhere or if that excluded his cock. To test that theory she grazed her nails against his sensitive skin and felt him thrust hard into her hand.

She flung his other hand away from her and pushed him forcefully until she was on top and he was on the bottom. She saw that apparently he didn't like to be dominated and smiled wickedly. "Now now, don't pout. You'll like what I'm going to do to you."

She stroked his cock with both hands and before he could say anything rude, as she could tell he wanted to, she took him into her warm mouth. He stilled and relaxed while her tongue laved the way for her to take him deeper. Without warning she circled his wrists with both hands and held them in place while she let him fuck her throat. His cock curved down and for an instant it felt very uncomfortable but then she relaxed and took him entirely in.

He inhaled sharply as her teeth deliberately grazed him, not as a novice would but as a woman who knew exactly what he wanted. He felt her nails dig painfully into his wrists and he let go, jerking against her lips and spilling his hot sticky seed down her throat. As he released he felt her slowly make her way up, licking every drop of him as she did.

Though he was sated he was still hard and the thought of causing her pain as she did him was too much to let go. He grasped her shoulders and hauled her up toward his face flipping both of them so that she was on the bottom again. Then he roughly jerked both legs up over his shoulders and thrust into her hard, seeing the look of pain on her face and relishing it.

She had been ready for him, but his brutal thrust still caused her pain. Her face contorted and she moaned and gasped almost wanting to scream. He must have sensed it because he clamped a hand around her throat, not too tightly but enough to squelch her ability to let that loud sound out.

He's afraid of getting caught, she thought somewhere in the back of her mind. She opened her eyes wanting to see what he looked like at the moment and was surprised when she could definitely see Avery in Harry's face. It was the eyes, she figured. Harry had never looked so sadistic, cruel and overtaken by cold, hard lust before. The sick part of her thought that it was a pity. Harry was beautiful right now.

She really wanted to know what Avery looked like under the same circumstances.

He released her throat and circled her wrists, holding them high above her head painfully. He then bent his head to her neck and gently sucked increasing the pressure until he sank his teeth down hard. She arched against him whimpering in pain but he didn't stop. His tongue licked the mark he had just made and when he pulled back she could see her blood on his lips.

Hungrily she knew what would make him go over the edge again, herself as well. She craned her neack forward until she was close enough to give one long lick over his lips. She could taste her coppery blood on them and he ripped his head away from hers and slammed into her harder than before.

He rode her until her body tensed and everything went white and then he still continued effectively making this the longest orgasm of her life. Her face was contorted in pure ecstasy and felt him jerk inside her once again as he released. He collapsed on top of her, never relinquishing his brutal hold on her wrists but she didn't care.

They gasped and panted for air as their shuddering bodies slowly returned to normal. She took deep calming breaths and closed her eyes.

"It… would be…," he panted in between words and raised his head up to look at her, "in your best interests not to say anything about this."

She nodded wryly, knowing exactly what he meant. "Of course not. I think that you might want to straighten yourself out before the others arrive."

They made their adjustments in silence each consumed with their own thoughts. Lucius came back for Harry and this time she let him go without a word of protest. She took the opportunity to get whatever rest she could before the torture session began again. This time she was going to make him sweat a little. And this time it wouldn't be from pleasure.

True to Avery's word, he, Lucius, Rabastan, Macnair, and Rodolphus returned about an hour later. Avery seemed more subdued toward her than usual and hardly spoke at all during the first few minutes. He just looked at her, as if scrutinizing every inch of her.

"Well, mudblood, are you ready to give in yet?" Rabastan asked casually already removing his shirt and anticipating her answer.

"Hardly, but who knows? Before the day is out I might just break," she said lightly, stretching her neck and shoulders in preparation for pain to come. She eyed them all warily and sighed, her bottom lip trembling slightly as she knew what was to come.

Macnair went first, he being the most disgruntled at her lack of cooperation. He was older than the others and had gone to school with their fathers. He was very set in the old idealistic pureblood ways and reminded her slightly of a fanatical sadistic grandfather.

That being said, he was the one who was most tired of having to come down here again because of her insolence. He smiled cruelly at her as he forced her to her knees.

"This should loosen your tongue a little better than the Cruciatus curse." He flicked his wand over her body and then stepped back.

She had paled at his words and felt a dreadful burning sensation. She groaned realizing his torture was going to have something to do with fire. She looked down in horror as her body appeared to have caught on fire. Through her pain she didn't even realize that she was screaming. The fire licked at her flesh but didn't actually burn it and she shrieked and clawed in vain to try and remove it from her.

Finally, he let it up and she laid smoking and gasping on the floor. God, when was the five minutes going to be up? She figured she'd actually give it longer just to divert suspicion. Maybe even longer than that, depending on how creative they decided to get.

"Give in yet?"

Give me ten more minutes and I will, she thought and to her horror she let out a weak giggle. She was really losing her mind now. They must think she was going crazy.

In fact they did all exchange amused looks, but were uncomfortable also. They did not have orders to break her entirely and they did not want to receive punishment for doing so. However, the Dark Lord was becoming insistent on seeing results soon so they decided to continue.

Rabastan gave her a kick in the stomach that left her gasping for air in between bursts of pain. Then a round of the Cruciatus that felt even worse than usual due to her already sensitive skin form the fire. Her voice was starting to grow hoarse already and she saw blood when she coughed into the stone floor. The lack of food this day was making everything more miserable and she was so relieved that she would get relief from this finally.

However another part of her wanted to push Avery into thinking she had changed her mind about squealing.

They cursed her, cut her, beat her, taunted her, and even spat on her before by chance she looked up and in a blood and sweat tainted haze, saw Avery's face looking pensively down at her.

"Hold up," he ordered abruptly, waving a hand in the air and walking over to her crumpled form. He knelt down beside her and gently moved her dark hair out of her face. To her it felt like he was petting an animal that he wanted to coax to do his bidding.

"Come now, Hermione," he said in a crooning voice. She flinched as she waited for whatever pain he was going to inflict on her. "We've already been at this for over an hour. How much longer do you think you can survive this excruciating pain? Hmm?" he asked, ever so gently rolling her to the side and really trying to keep his urges suppressed for now.

He was getting extremely irritated that she hadn't done what she said she was going to do. He thought that she would have told them what they wanted to know by now. He had decided not to share that information with his comrades, just in case things didn't go according to plan.

She wheezed her breaths out as she let her combative defenses drop. This seemed as good a time as any to spill the beans, as the Muggle saying goes.

"You're-you're right," she managed to breathe out weakly. "I'll tell you."

Avery stood up and she didn't miss the triumphant gleam in his eye. "I'm glad to see you are finally being reasonable. Now tell us so that we may heal you and return you to your master's room."

Was it just her or did his eyes flicker with the mention of her master? "Ah yes," she smiled weakly trying to twist whatever knife was in him at the moment. He was probably upset that she wasn't his torture and touch anymore. "_My_ master," she purred, coughing again when she felt a sharp sting across her cheek.

The others thought he was just being impatient, but really he was angry that she was reminding him that she wasn't his. Oh how he longed to hurt her and see the look on her face as he had earlier when she thought he was Potter. She had done things exactly the way he liked them done and without any coaxing from him. Sarah hated causing him pain and he was forever reminding her who was master.

"There's a little town called Ottery St. Catchpole. Just outside of it is a small hill. If you go around the hill to the other side you will see the Burrow." She tried to sound as defeated and anguished as possible which wasn't hard to do seeing as she was as close as she had ever been.

"Finally," Rabastan muttered and everyone began gathering their things.

Avery spoke to the others but never took his blue eyes off of Hermione's brown ones. She made sure that she kept her mental blocks up incase he tried anything sneaky. "The rest of you report back to the Dark Lord. Tell him the mudblood has told us the location of her friends. I'll deal with this here."

She eyed him warily through half-opened eyes as the others filed out one by one. Lucius was the only one who cast any lingering glances at her and she could tell that his jealousy had not abated. Given the time and opportunity he would love to take her again. She reminded herself not to travel alone throughout the manor if she could help it.

The door slammed shut and she felt her body floating to the bed. He wasn't going to risk a repeat was he? The sick part of her hoped so. Giving him pain felt good. And if she were honest, _getting_ the pain didn't feel so bad either. Combined with the things he was doing to her body and she had weakened.

She was almost becoming as bad as that Hufflepuff girl, what's-her-name. She groaned as her body dipped onto the slightly more comfortable mattress. She felt her dirty, bloody dress being magicked away but didn't bother with any false modesty. She just wanted to be healed and given a soft mattress and some food. Hopefully, Snape wasn't lying to her when he said that the Order was laying a trap for the Deatheaters.

Bit by bit her pain ebbed until all that was left was draining weariness. She watched him as he stood above her with his cold gaze and arrogant aristocratic face. His brown hair fell to one side over his eye, in an uncharacteristic manner. He looked angry and she hoped that he wouldn't take whatever it was out of her.

Biting her lip, she nervously watched his finger reach out to trace a line across her bottom lip. She knew then that he was thinking about what they had done earlier. And now he wanted to do it again but knew that he would get into a lot of trouble.

He saw the taunting triumph in her eyes and hated it, not fully understanding why she was looking at him like that—and then he hated that he was letting her get to him. He should just fuck her again right here. Fuck her until she couldn't walk for a week. And this time there would be only pain making her scream.

"You could, you know," she whispered hoarsely causing his eyes to widen.

"What did you say?" Had he opened his mind up to her in that moment?

She cleared her throat. "You could let me go now. I thought that was the deal?" Of course that is not what she was implying earlier. Why was she being so reckless?

The air chilled her body causing her nipples to pucker in the soft light of the candles glowing on the walls. He saw and clenched his fists.

"Stand up," he ordered abruptly, his face and expression once more changing into the Avery she had known before all this. The calm, cool, and collected at all times Avery.

She stood on shaky legs as he replaced her dirty dress. For the first time in days she was led out of her cell and back up the stairs. It was daylight outside, she realized having to shield her eyes from the pain of adjusting. She hadn't seen daylight for some time.

The entire way she was very conscious of his intense gaze boring a hole in her back. It made her feel nervous and cagy and she had to fight to keep her eyes in front of her. Once they arrived at the door to Sirius' suite she felt marginally better.

He yelled irritably for whoever it was to enter and stood up in shock as Hermione and Avery walked in.

"Hermione?" he whispered hoarsely and she saw the want and worry in his eyes, as well as the intoxication.

"I'm here master. Shall I welcome you properly?" she asked, mostly for Avery's benefit. Sirius really didn't know what to say but since he was drunk he didn't care as much.

"Come here," he ordered huskily, his eyes burning her with intensity.

As she strode over in her blood covered dress, she felt a part of her soul tear at what she'd become. The emptiness was threatening to consume her and as she wound her arms around Sirius neck and felt his soft black hair under her fingers, she wanted to scream that they were winning.

She opened her mouth and let her tongue invade his. She felt his hesitancy, but brushed it aside and continued her ministrations. Her eyes opened and locked onto Avery's, who still hadn't moved from his place at the door. He watched her transfixed as Sirius' hand roughly pulled her closer to his lean muscled body.

Maybe it was the knowledge that she had willingly slept with Avery or maybe it was just the fatigue and hunger, but her spirit was waning. She remembered Draco's words from the night he took her virginity. When he was quietly begging her to see things his way.

'_Just for this one night you can have pleasure,' _he had said_, 'before they ruin any hope for you to have a normal life.'_

She was desperately coming close to wanting to apply his words to her everyday life. She wanted to have physical contact that was pleasurable and caring and even loving. She was tired of feeling like a whore and being tortured and abused.

But wasn't she a whore? She had loved being with Draco the two times she had been. She was not ashamed of that fact in itself. But she had also liked what Avery had done to her and in her stupid corrupted heart she wanted more. How could she live with herself after this, knowing that she liked it? That she had initiated it? Not with one man but with two, soon to be three.

She felt like she was breaking. And Avery saw it—and he wanted it. She could tell. He wanted her body and soul—to subjugate to his will, to break and remold in his likeness. To bleed her and cause her exquisite pain and to make her do everything she never wanted to do.

The dark magic in her was urging her to just give up for the moment. Fighting them caused her pain and went against It's nature to protect. Whether it was in her best interest or not.

Keeping her eyes on Avery, she knew that in the days to come she would have to fight harder for her very soul—or else just admit defeat.

She watched as he gave her an unreadable look and without haste, walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

**A/N- Like I said above, the Avery action was just because I really wanted to write some regardless of the literary consequences. I've been dying to do it since the beginning of the story. I honestly was just going to draw out the tension, but oh well.**

**Maybe now I'll find something more useful for him to do other than what I've already got planned for him. Don't worry, she will get with Sirius- soon in fact- but keep in mind that just because they are together doesn't mean everything is good and everyone is happy.**


	16. The Other Sides

**Disclaimer- The usual. I own nothing.**

**A/N- This is by far the shortest chapter. I tried to get more people in it but the creativity was not flowing after these initial stories. There isn't any Hermione or Sirius or Avery, but I did want to show what else was going on in the manor directly after Hermione's release.**

**I am planning for a more complex chapter next time. I want to check back with Griselda and get a move on with the escape plans. Still, I hope ya'll like this!!!**

Rabastan slumped into his chair, grinning in relief. He ran a hand through his dark hair. The Dark Lord was pleased that they had broken the mudblood so quickly, though he was still suspicious enough to send out a group of Deatheaters to survey the house before they actually attacked. He wanted to make sure they weren't walking into a trap. Thankfully, Rabastan was not one of the men chosen for such an assignment. That glory- he snorted- was given to his sister-in-law Bellatrix. She was one of His best lieutenants.

He wasn't a coward. On the contrary, he relished a good raid and its rewards, but recently his attention has been a tad more focused somewhere else. Or should he say someone else. He glanced over at the beautiful dark girl lying on his bed.

Pavarti.

She was exotic and different from what he was used to. Since Ahzkaban, everything had seemed more colorful, every smell more pungent, every taste as if it were his last one. When he had seen her the first time standing against the wall in the Malfoy dungeons, he had felt nothing but pure lust. She was so soft and beautiful. He had looked over at his brother and had known he would find pleasure in her also. Rodolphus liked dark beauties.

Her body was so young and fresh; they had a great time breaking her the first night. Well, he had a great time. His brother was too serious nowadays, too quiet, nothing like the powerful charismatic pillar that he had been before. When he had taken Pavarti, it had been with intense single-minded need that had only abated after hours of rutting.

Rabastan hadn't minded. She was just some blood-traitor whore there for one purpose only. To fuck.

He hadn't counted on feeling utterly content beside her body, even though he knew she hated him. He forced to her to do things that she really didn't want to do, but he didn't care. He liked to watch her dark brown eyes as he moved over her body. He liked to watch them fill with emotion and for a few minutes he would get lost in them.

But then he would come to his senses and realize that caring for any girl was pointless. He made sure after each time they fucked she knew that he hated her too. He made sure that she saw the hate in his eyes as he cursed her and hit her. So that she would know that she held no power over him.

But she did. He secretly _wanted_ her to want him, to need him, and knew that it was the one thing he could never force her to do.

So every now and then he let his brother have her. Rabastan was by far the more gentle lover, even while he was raping her. Rodolphus was raw and animalistic and secretly he hoped that the more she had of Rodolphus, the more she would see how generous his brother really was. Even if sometimes his mind wasn't right.

To everyone who was not insane, they knew that this of course would never work. In fact, it would probably only achieve the total opposite effect, in that it would further solidify the girl's apparent desire to die. She had barely spoken since the first night they had taken her.

Rabastan ran a hand through his tousled curly brown hair and smiled. He had been away from her for too long and it was time for her to give him what he wanted. Maybe this time he would be more patient with her.

He stood up and grinned at her naked unresponsive form lying on top of the soft blankets. Her eyes flicked warily toward him and watched as he shrugged off his robes. He kicked out of his boots and slid his pants down off of his long legs. He stretched his arms in the air totally comfortable in his nudity. True, Ahzkaban had robbed him of his former spectacular physique, but he was not by any means now unattractive. His boyish good looks and lean muscled frame usually grabbed every woman's eye.

Crawling over the beautiful girl he satisfied himself with simply rubbing his hands down her arms and back, coaxing her to relax and just give in. He had resolved himself over the last week to be nicer to her, to perhaps let her see the gentler side of him. At first her body was tense but when she saw that he wasn't going to hurt her, she relaxed against his torso.

He pressed light kisses on her bare shoulders and saw a tear slip down her cheek. For some absurd reason this made him want to laugh. Best to just stamp that urge down for now. He rolled her over onto her back and she sniffed.

"Oh, Pavarti, my pure, beautiful precious. I have missed this." He almost said you, but decided that it would seem too much like admitting he felt something for her, like love. He shuddered and continued kissing her tan body.

"Touch me," he urged into her neck. Her touch made him feel so much better. It soothed him and calmed his nerves, even when she was looking him like she wanted to die.

Her hand moved to his back and stayed there limply not putting forth more effort than was necessary. He captured her lips and moaned as he pressed his erection against her thigh. His other hand went to her small perfect breast and palmed it, moving his lips down her jaw and onto her neck.

"Come on," he moaned persuasively rolling onto his back and dragging her with him so that she was staring into his eyes. He pushed lightly on her shoulders trying to guide her down to where he wanted her. She of course resisted stubbornly and he blew out a frustrated breath. His cock was aching and he was laying here in eager anticipation.

"Pavarti, if you do what I want you to, then I promise I won't let my brother have you anymore. It will just be me, I promise. I want you all to myself anyway."

She stared hatefully at him, but considered his words. If he was telling the truth then she would be able to forgo all the painful nights with Rodolphus in the future. It would be safer for her to do as he wanted. And cleaner. She already felt so dirty being passed from one brother to the other. And once they had even let Malfoy have her, as consolation for losing Hermione. She couldn't believe Hermione had lasted so long with that bastard. The things he did…

She put that night out of her mind and moved down to hover over his long cock laying stiff on his stomach. She took it into her mouth and performed just the way he liked it, listening to him in disgust as he moaned and held the top of her head. She hated him so much.

She picked up the pace and finally the moment she dreaded and at the same time longed for arrived. He tensed and jerked his seed into her mouth holding her head down to make sure she swallowed every drop. Then she was allowed to get up.

Her stomach rolled and she felt dizzy as she was dragged back up to the pillows. She closed her eyes and put a hand over her mouth to try and keep the vomit at bay. Rabastan misinterpreted her actions as a personal insult to him.

"Stop being dramatic, witch. I've been more than fair with you." He was annoyed now and that never boded well for her.

"You know, if you weren't such a good whore I would just torture and dispose of you," he said in a deceptively soft voice. "As it is, what's between your legs is the only thing about you worth anything." He laughed then, right in her face and she felt something rising to the surface, threatening to snap.

It didn't just threaten, it actually snapped. She watched his face laughing and sneering down at her. In that moment, she thought about every time he had raped her, tortured her, and demeaned her and, of its own volition, her hand rose quickly and slapped his face with a resounding crack.

He stopped abruptly and looked down at her stunned that she had actually done it. She had hit him. He was incredulous and simply stared at her picturing all the painful, bloody things he was going to do to her after his surprise wore off.

She laughed at his expression, though it was a high pitched stressful sound that gave away her true mental state. She glared scathingly up at him and her hate-filled eyes once again caught his attention.

"Beat me. Kill me. I don't care. I hate you and the more times you beat me unconscious the less time I spend looking into your disgusting face. In fact, given the circumstances I really wish you would hurt me. Kick me in the stomach and rid me of your vileness," she shouted into his face.

He drew back as she hysterically began to cry and he wondered what in Merlin's name she was talking about.

"I hate you. You've ruined my life," she sobbed, "and now- and now, this!" she shrieked. "I thought it would die. I thought that one of the times you tortured me would too much for it to live through. But it didn't die. It didn't die," she sobbed uncontrollably as her words were finally sinking into his brain.

He looked down at her and slowly tightened his grip on her arms. "What are you saying? Tell me."

"I'm pregnant, you bastard," she shouted, choking on her tears.

She is pregnant. Pavarti is with child. A baby.

"How far along?"

She let out a strangled noise. "I've missed two periods. I figure I got pregnant sometime when I first came here."

His momentary panic was now offset by the reminder that she was a pureblood. His child at least would not be some mixed blood scum. He warmed to the idea of a son or daughter as the moments passed. His eyes grew warmer and more thoughtful and she stared incredulously.

"You're happy about this," she accused, "You want this child."

"Of course I am happy. You are a slave it is true, but you are also a pureblood witch. My sister-in-law cannot provide an heir, and my brother will not replace her, so the duty has fallen to me. The Dark Lord has been making plans to marry me off soon anyway. He wants all the old families to be taken care of and our numbers built back up."

A cruel smile twisted on her beautiful face. "It's more than that. You personally want this child. You care about it already, as much as something like you could care about anything." He didn't answer, but they both knew it was true. She giggled at him and watched as he frowned. She had finally gotten the chance she had been dreaming of. The chance to hurt him if only for a moment.

"Oh, this is so funny. You think the baby is yours," she laughed gleefully, gasping her mirth, "Have you forgotten the nights I have also fucked your brother? You actually encouraged him to take me."

She smiled tauntingly at his panicked face as he realized that the baby might not even be his. "How does it feel to want something so badly and have it taken away from you? I'm glad. I hate you and I hope it isn't yours."

He came to his senses then and gripped her mocking mouth hard. He had a strange glint in his eye as bent down to whisper close to her face.

"The paternity can be determined easy enough, my sweet. Either way, I have you now. Whether your baby is mine or not."

XXXXXXXXXX

Katie Bell sat by the window of Goyle's room sketching the beautiful scene below. Whatever else it was, Malfoy Manor was beautiful and grand. She was more than happy to have the opportunity to ease her boredom.

"Katie," a shy, timid voice started to her left.

She raised an eyebrow and looked over in irritation. She knew she wouldn't be punished for her insolence. "Yes?" she asked imperiously. "What do you want?"

Goyle blushed and sort of fumbled with his robes for a moment. "Well, I was out on a raid last night and I saw something that I thought you might like. It reminded me of your beauty."

She swallowed her distaste and huffed. "Well, what is it?"

He reached into his robes and drew out a brown paper bag. He handed it to her and waited in silence for her to open it. She unfolded the top and reached in, withdrawing a golden amber bracelet, banded together with slim silver strands and an intricate clasp. She couldn't believe what an idiot he was sometimes.

She schooled her face into one of adoration. "It's beautiful. I can't believe you thought of me while you were in danger." She rose dutifully as she had perfected in the last few weeks and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then sucked it up and smiled, trailing her lips over his and engulfing them a searing kiss that left Goyle dizzy and very hard.

"You know, I just wish that I could wear it. It's so beautiful, but," she pretended to hesitate, "maybe someday in the future I'll get the chance."

He drew back confused and looked at her. "Why can't you wear it? Is it too small?"

She sighed. "No, I have _these_ bracelets on remember?" She lifted an arm to dangle in front of his face.

She could see that he was extremely disappointed and looked regretfully at him. Slowly, she lifted his arms so that his hands wrapped around her neck. He understood immediately and quickly undid the clasps of her top and bottom.

She strode naked over to the bed and bent provocatively over the edge of it, running a hand over the curve of her buttocks and making him drool. He clumsily fumbled with his robes and it was almost comical watching him try to get them off as quickly as possible. He greedily ran his hands over every inch of her body that he could reach and entered her from behind.

He missed the look of distaste and revulsion that crossed her face before she gasped and moaned and bucked against his hips. She could feel his gut rubbing against her back with every thrust and consoled herself with the thought that all this might be possibly going somewhere—somewhere beneficial to her.

"Oh Merlin, that feels so good," she groaned, grasping his hand and bringing it around to cup her breast. He painfully squeezed it and she managed to cover up her pain with another gasp.

He was finished quickly and with a loud grunt he spilled his seed in her and collapsed against the bed, panting. She was so beautiful. Like an angel. She actually cared about him now, he was convinced. She looked at him like he was her savior and that's exactly what he thought of himself as—her savior. Something so beautiful had to be protected and cared for, especially when she was so willing to give herself to him and make every idea of his sound brilliant.

No one else had ever done that. They acted like he was stupid, but Katie told him different. He wondered if it was time to ask the Dark Lord for responsibility, more leadership roles. Katie told him that he would never gain favor if he never had a chance to prove himself.

Now she looked at him, smiling her beautiful smile in all her blonde, blue-eyed glory and he felt his heart lurch painfully. She deserved so much more. He glanced at the bracelet that he had so wanted to see her wear and suddenly looked up with a smile.

"Maybe, I can take your gauntlets off sometimes," he suggested though hesitantly. The Dark Lord had ordered them not to. Before he could mull things over for to long, she slid one small hand up his arm and he shivered. "You know, just for a little bit at a time. That way you can wear your bracelet in the room."

She smiled so adoringly at him that he wondered why he hadn't married a woman more agreeable in his youth. He obviously could have done better than Mary, though he _had_ loved her and she was dutiful and produced an adequate heir. Katie was proof that he _was_ appealing.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lucius Malfoy was going to die a very painful death if his master ever found out that he was sneaking over to see his wife at the moment. He was allowed to visit her, just not right before a very important mission. Still, Bella's team would not be returning until the morning and the Dark Lord wouldn't organize the attack for at least a day after that.

He had time for this.

He opened the door to one of their many vacation homes and walked in taking note that nothing seemed out of place. He walked up the stairs with the purpose of a man who hasn't seen the woman he loves in a long time.

He thought bitterly about how happy they had been before this mess, the mess he himself had confessed for fourteen years to want. Voldemort. He shuddered to even think the name, but nowadays he was growing bolder and more discontented.

He was a man of simple tastes really. He simply wanted his family intact (not his bloody in-laws, they could rot for all he cared), his reputation untarnished, the prestige his name had carried for hundreds of years, and the power he had wielded in the wizarding world before his master had made his return.

He had belatedly realized that the Dark Lord's return was not everything he had hoped it would be. Lucius had moved on with his life and just hadn't realized it until it was too late. And now he was stuck, with the bastard using his ancestral home as his headquarters. His family's every movement was tracked and dissected and sometimes he even harbored traitorous thoughts.

Best to quash those thoughts for now and simply soldier on. Still… he wondered how receptive the Order would be if he offered his services… and financial backing. As soon as the thought entered his mind it was gone. He banished it forcefully, for to _think_ was to _do _in some cases.

A light breeze caught his face and a wisp of long blond hair blew across his icy eyes. He turned and saw her, his wife, sitting as usual by the window looking sad and defeated.

"Narcissa, my love, I have come to you," he said thickly, his voice betraying his emotions.

She turned her pale face and blue eyes toward him and looked for a moment and then went back to the window.

"How is Draco?" she inquired sadly, not looking at him.

How the hell should he know? The boy rarely spoke to him anymore, he thought bitterly, moving his cane and taking a seat. "Draco is fine, though I know he misses you and your guidance."

She closed her eyes briefly and then reopened them. "I miss him too. I wish he could come here to stay with me until school starts in September." She looked at him hopefully, but her smile fell when she saw her husband's sad face.

"Honestly, I wish he could too. This has affected him greatly though he will never admit it. It wouldn't be wise to do so around so many of the Dark Lord's followers. There is a mission tomorrow night to raid the Burrow, the Weasley's hovel," he sneered. "If it is successful we will have Potter and his other friends by then. And it will be over."

Narcissa shook her head. "You don't understand. It will never be over. We will always fear for our lives. They hang in the balance of the whims of a madman."

Lucius was shocked. Narcissa had never spoken so openly about her traitorous thoughts. "You musn't say such things. If someone were to hear you we would all be killed."

She looked at him as if to convey that he had just proven her point.

"What ever happened with that girl? The mudblood slave that was to be Draco's _reward_?" Her lips curved into a distasteful grimace and she looked over to gauge the truthfulness of his response.

He was not very comfortable talking with his wife about the girl he had dallied with for months, but he smoothed his face into a neutral expression and responded. "I believe at first, as he told us, he was scared and found the job distasteful. But, he accomplished it and was not punished. I don't think he really bothered with her much after that. She was given Sirius Black about a week ago."

He forced himself not betray how much he hated that fact. He loved his wife desperately, one of only two people he did love, but he wanted the mudblood too.

Narcissa's mind seemed to be elsewhere and he inwardly thanked Merlin for that. She sat up abruptly and for the first time in a long time, she looked at him squarely with clear eyes.

"I'm coming home."

**A/N- I just couldn't see Narcissa staying away and letting her family go to shit. I think she keeps the Malfoy men sort of glued together. In this story she sort of lost it after Dumbledore died, when she realized that Lucius had changed for the worse and her son was being forced to rape somebody. Her husband wouldn't leave his master and her son was now following the same man.**

**So she left until Lucius got his head on right. All the free time she has to think at the vacation house made her realize that she couldn't just abandon them, mostly Draco. Her family needs her. She does know about Hermione and Lucius and that was part of the reason why she left. She couldn't witness how far he would go for revenge.**


	17. The Prelude To An Escape

"Hermione, we need to talk."

She looked up warily at Sirius who had just walked through the door. He looked more alert and on edge than usual and she sat up in the bed to give him her attention. He ran a hand through his dark hair and thought for a moment.

"Snape came to me the night after Voldemort threw you into the dungeon. He told me that the Deatheaters were planning on using Polyjuice potion the transform into Ron or Harry and gain your confidence."

She nodded. "Yes, he came to me and told me this too, but I had already figured it out."

He looked surprised. "How?"

"The fake Harry thought I was his girlfriend," she said simply, "Just to make sure, I asked him to kiss me as he left. It was a test to see what he would do."

Sirius looked displeased. "And?"

Hermione smiled. "He didn't disappoint. Gave me a kiss right on the lips."

"You know it was Avery don't you?"

She nodded. "I figured it out when he was one of the only guards I didn't see. Macnair wouldn't have been able to fool me for so long."

Sirius stopped pacing for a moment and looked at her curiously. "So you and Harry were never an item?"

She shook her head.

"But then how did you know about his birthmark?" He still hadn't forgiven her for announcing to the hall that he had diaper duty on the Chosen One.

She blushed at his question. The circumstances had been embarrassing enough the first time. She did not want to relive it. "It was an awkward situation involving a bathroom, post-showering, and me not knocking. We couldn't look each other in the eye for weeks after that," she laughed.

He stared off for a moment and then shuddered abruptly. "Right. Well, don't need to hear anymore about that. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Snape."

"I think he's on our side," she interjected quickly, watching his face any signs of an explosion. None came. Instead he threw himself into a chair and tossed his head into a hand.

"I think you're right," he agreed moaning his lament. "He came and warned me about Avery and told me that I should get everybody ready for an attack. He said he would tell you to tell them the location so we could trap them when they arrived."

"Yes, he said that. I wasn't sure if I could trust him, but eventually I just went with my gut instinct," she admitted. "Have you talked with any the Order and told them about our escape?"

He hesitated and she knew what he was thinking. "I know about Kingsley, Sirius. I saw the memory that night in Voldemort's chambers."

He looked over at her sorrowfully. "I froze when I saw him. I was so shocked that I didn't know what to do and then you were being carried off at the same time. I didn't know if I should blow my cover to rescue you or just try later or even if there were more traitors in the group." He looked away toward the window and Hermione shrugged.

"I know. I saw what really happened. If we talk to the Weasely's and Harry, someone can distract Kingsley while we portkey into the house. The Burrow won't be safe to go back to now, so it will have to be somewhere else. Anyway, after we get there Kingsley can be stunned and imprisoned." Her eyes hardened. "I think a memory sweep should serve him just fine."

Sirius looked up in surprise. "A memory sweep? Isn't that a little harsh? I mean I know that betrayed you and all, but--,"

She cut him off angrily. "It's not just about me. Who knows what he's been orchestrating behind the scenes. He wanted me out of the picture for a reason. My guess is that it was so Harry would be more dependant on the Order instead of us. What if Ron's next?" she asked, balling a fist up. "I mean, he's the one who formed this callous inhuman plan that you and Remus so diligently executed." She gave him a mocking glance and he bent his head in shame. It sent a thrill through her that he was so easy to hurt.

"The Ministry is too close to being overthrown by the Deatheaters to send him to Ahzkaban. If we put him there, Voldemort will have him by the next day and all of our secrets too." She thought for a moment. "We need to wipe his memory of everything important and put him in a secure location that nobody knows about." She paused again and this time she waited until she got his attention.

"Or we kill him," she said flatly. "It's not as if he doesn't deserve it."

"Hermione, don't be like this," he pleaded, "You're changing. You're letting them turn you into a cold-hearted, callous person. The old Hermione wouldn't advocate a man's death no matter what he had done."

She looked at him coldly. "The old Hermione is dead. Nothing is going to bring her back. Now, if you want to start atoning for your crimes against me and every other girl that's imprisoned here, you can start by making two portkeys—one for the new Order headquarters and the other for a secure place where we stay. If we can leave while the Deatheater's are attacking the Burrow it will be a good distraction. The manor will be emptier than usual."

And with that she closed her eyes and hoped that he would let her rest more for a moment. "Oh," she said with her eyes still closed, "have you thought of a place that we can stay at yet?" She opened them and looked over at his tired face.

He actually smiled briefly as if amused. "As a matter of fact I have. Do remember hearing about the uncle who gave me money when I ran away from home?"

Her brow furrowed. "Alphard? The one who was disowned?"

He smiled and nodded. "Well, he went into hiding for a few years before he was caught and murdered. It just so happens that the house he stayed in was willed to me when he died. I've never been there but I have the object that tells me where it is. It will only tell me," he added, crossing an ankle over his thigh.

"What about Narcissa and Bellatrix? Can they find it?"

He shook his head. "When he was disowned, all ties to the Black family were broken. When that happens to someone, it's as if they were never part of any family."

She was confused now. "But then why does Grimmauld Place answer to you?"

He gave an empty half-smile. "I was disowned after I ran away, but it appears as if my father restored by birthright after Regulus died. You see, I am the last male of my family. If I die without producing a legitimate male heir then the Black name dies with me. However angry they were with me, my parents knew this and for once were forced to set aside their pride." He laughed all of a sudden as if something just occurred to him.

"Knowing this now, I wonder how upset they were when I was sentenced to life in Ahzkaban. All their efforts would have been fruitless." He was quiet for a moment and looked lost in memories. Hermione didn't know what to say.

"I can make a portkey quickly so that it will be ready in time for the attack. Voldemort met with his followers today after Bellatrix and the others returned from scouting. I think he will want to attack tomorrow night. I of course will not be going as I am still not trustworthy," he grinned at her.

"So tomorrow night then. You will have to come upstairs with me and remove the girl's bracelets before we can go. We'll have to portkey out of the fifth floor. One girl won't be coming," she told him, "she's been given to Avery _and_ she's turned against us."

He raised an eyebrow and made a face. "I will never understand women," he muttered.

She smirked at him. "Maybe if you talked to them _before_ the sex, you would."

He glared and blushed slightly, muttering to himself again.

Hermione turned serious and let out another breath. "Okay, so it's settled then. Tomorrow night. Fifth floor, whoever is up there will come with us. I leave it to you to figure out where we'll be going to first. I have no idea where the Order will even be meeting now."

He shook his head. "I'm expecting a communication from Kingsley today. He'll tell me then. It is going to be difficult, but if we can capture or kill enough Deatheater's tomorrow night then our war will be that much closer to ending."

She nodded and prayed that everything would come together tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Severus muttered the spell and waved his wand in front of the girl's abdomen. Voldemort sat in his chair and surveyed the cluster gathered in front of him. Bellatrix stood with lips pursed, inwardly fuming and looking off to the side. Rodolphus looked like his usual stoic self, but Voldemort could detect his ridiculous eagerness to hear the results. Rabastan was smirking at the girl beside him, no doubt already certain of its parentage. Lucius looked even paler than usual and was probably praying to the gods that this child was not his.

Nobody noticed Voldemort roll his eyes at the pathetic meaningless drivel that he was forced to listen to and look at everyday. The only thing that concerned him was if the baby was going to be a Lestrange or not. If it was, then he would marry the girl off to Rabastan and the problem of an heir would be solved.

"Severus, whose is it?" he drolled rolling his head around to look at the black haired man.

"Twins, milord. Two boys."

Pavarti burst out crying and the others leaned forward expectantly.

"That's very illuminating Severus, but I asked who the father is? And somebody silence her."

Instantly the sobs were muffled and Severus spoke again. "Rabastan, milord."

Rabastan crowed with delight and Pavarti started crying harder. Bella looked relieved as did Lucius. Rodolphus was disappointed but resigned.

"Congratulations, Rabastan. I assume you know what this means?"

He nodded. "I was going to petition you to allow me to marry her as quickly as possible."

"Tonight I should think," Voldemort said, "We will be attacking tomorrow night and you will be going. If something should happen to you, at least the children will be legitimate. And in good hands," he added silkily, turning his gleaming red eyes onto Pavarti who paled and cowered back further.

"Rabastan, Rodolphus, and Bella, you are to meet me here tonight along with Severus and the girl so I can perform the ceremony. It will be a simple hasty affair so don't bother dressing up. That is all." He flicked a hand and they scattered leaving him to his thoughts and plans.

XXXXXXXXXX

Late that night, there was a knock on the door. Sirius got up to answer it and Hermione was shocked to see Severus standing there. He was ushered in quickly and Sirius stoked the fire for better light.

"What's happened?" Sirius demanded

"Many things have happened tonight, Black, however I am here to enlighten you of only two. Firstly, Narcissa has returned," Severus said quietly.

Though Hermione was very embarrassed at the thought of having to see the woman, she couldn't imagine why her arrival would be cause for alarm. "I don't get it. Why is that bad?"

Severus strode quickly over to the decanter of firewhiskey and poured a large glass. Sirius squashed his instinct to object and waited impatiently for him to continue.

"Narcissa returned to the manor early this morning. Apparently Lucius had gone to visit her after the Dark Lord had specifically given instructions not to leave the premises. He didn't want to chance anything happening before the attack on the Burrow." He went quickly over to the table and put his glass down and then turned back to them. "Anyway she decided to come back and was caught trying to persuade Draco to leave with her and go to the Order for protection."

Hermione gasped and Sirius looked surprised.

"Who caught her?"

Severus looked grim. "The Hufflepuff girl that Avery's keeping was hiding in the room at the time. Narcissa didn't want to speak in Draco's room because she was afraid of someone being able to overhear them. Well, apparently the girl went straight to Avery in the hopes of getting back into his good graces. He told the Dark Lord and now she's being kept in the dungeon, awaiting torture and execution."

Hermione's mind flitted briefly to Draco. She knew he would be devastated if his mother were to die. Her time spent with him seemed so long ago and far away, but she hadn't forgotten. Maybe there was a way. "When is she supposed to be killed?"

"Oh, he's going to waiting until after the attack tomorrow night. And for extra measure, Draco is being kept down there with her. He's worried that one of them would try and release her, which undoubtedly they would."

"What about Lucius? Is he confined as well?" she asked frowning.

"Only until tomorrow night. He's going on the raid so his whereabouts will be accounted for. I think," he hesitated and looked down for a moment his eyes still unreadable, "I think that as a test the Dark Lord will be asking either Draco or Lucius to do the honors."

She gasped and shook her head. "We have to take them with us, Sirius. We'll hide them along with us."

Sirius looked shocked. "Hermione,--," He in no way trusted Snape enough to actually reveal that they were escaping. His anger grew at Hermione for heedlessly endangering them.

Severus interrupted. "I know what you're thinking Black. I should think we have put such distrust behind us for the time being. I have proven my true allegiances."

"He's right. Besides, Draco will come in handy when we deal with Kingsley."

Severus looked at her in confusion.

Hermione enlightened him and watched as his face grew darker and darker with anger.

"I know of a place where you can put him."

She was curious. "Where?"

He smiled. "Leave that to me. I will contact you through Draco and make arrangements then. Just make sure Kingsley is with you when the time comes."

She looked at Sirius who was still uneasy, and nodded. "Alright, what is the second thing?"

Severus turned his black eyes on her. "Miss Patil has become pregnant with Rabastan Lestrange's children. Twin boys. I have just come from their 'wedding'," he told her his face twisting with derision.

Hermione was appalled and shocked. She was also speechless, one of the few times in her life she was rendered so. "Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded, "We could have--,"

He cut her off. "You could have done nothing, Miss Granger. I myself only found out earlier today. The Dark Lord only married them to secure the children's legitimacy should Rabastan be killed in the attack tomorrow. You should realize this now before it is too late; there are some people you cannot save and there are some things that are beyond your control. Save what you can and leave the rest to the god's." He turned quickly and strode to the door.

After Severus left, she stared at the door dumbly for a moment before she turned to Sirius and expelled a breath. "Alright, change of plans."

XXXXXXXXXX

That day was the longest of her life. So many things depended on chance and she hated that. She liked to have everything planned out according to schedule. But life hardly ever worked that way it seemed.

The door opened and Griselda walked through raising an eyebrow at her as she did so. "Sirius Black said that you wished to see me?"

Hermione stood up and waved the usual silencing charms around the room. It felt good to actually be able to use magic in front of someone again.

"Yes, I wish to speak to you about the spell you cast. I want it out. I can feel it inside of me and I don't want it anymore." She said everything very rushed, her slight panic showing through and Griselda sighed.

"Yes, Severus told me that he had discussed it with you. He was angry at me for doing it but…," she shrugged a shoulder elegantly. "There is no magical way to remove it. He told me that he said this to you earlier."

Hermione was too distressed to catch the meaning of her words. "Yes, but I still don't understand. What did he mean?"

"I put something inside you, a magical parasite if you will."

She frowned. "A parasite? It's feeding off me? Am I going to die?"

She heaved a sigh. "Not all parasites merely take. Some give and take—a symbiotic relationship. Among other things, it gives you strength, guides you into making choices that spare you pain, and gave you your magic back. You give it life and space within you."

"It is dark magic, Griselda. It's evil," she insisted.

"Magic isn't just black and white. A lot of it is grey. The grey is where most living things abide."

"Okay, but how do I get rid of it. I killed my parents for Merlin's sake," she yelled.

Griselda merely looked at her calmly. "If I recall- you didn't kill them, Voldemort did. Do you think he really would have spared them even you had betrayed the Order? No, he would not have. Even if he had spared them then, can you imagine the life that they would lead if he should win this war? Not one worth living I should think," she concluded.

Hermione saw sense in what she was saying but it still didn't sit right with her. "I understand the logic of your words, Griselda, I do. My problem is with the fact that I feel like I'm losing my humanity, or at the very least my identity. It should have been more of a struggle to make that choice."

"To rid yourself of this entity—though I think you should realize that it considers itself your friend—it will require giving yourself truly over to the one person worthy of you. Your true love so to speak."

Hermione made a face. "Like in the fairytales?"

She sighed again. "The entity is your friend, but above all else it is selfish and it thrives on selfishness and secrecy. Muggle fairytales have served throughout the ages as warnings against dark witches and wizards. They have become distorted in recent years, but the message is still the same—true love conquers all. Is it any different than what your late professor Dumbledore always preached? Is it not what saved little Harry Potter from the Killing Curse?"

Hermione was once again speechless, but this time it was because her mind was whirring with all this new information. "But that will be so easy. I already love people. Ron, Harry, my parents,--,"

Griselda cut her off once again. "I said true love, not ordinary love. True love is a far more painful and selfless thing than ordinary love. Instead of protecting yourself and allowing It to close off the feelings that hurt you, you will be forced to feel everything. You cannot love someone truly unless it is so. But," she cautioned, "if you are set in driving It from you, you should heed my warning. The longer it stays inside, the harder it will be. Don't let it take over too much or you will have to live with it forever."

Hermione fumed. She had opened her big mouth and asked for a tiny little spell to help her out. And this is what she gets. She sighed and nodded to Griselda. Griselda paused at the doorway and looked back.

"If you are planning anything for tonight, I suggest you wait until seven o'clock. There is a mandatory inspection on the fifth floor conducted by myself for all girls. We are getting some new ones in and we must welcome them." She eyed her meaningfully.

Hermione stepped forward. "Are you friend or foe Griselda? I can't figure you out."

She smiled. "What do you feel?" Silence for a moment. "Remember, tonight, fifth floor, seven o'clock. I've already told Sirius." She shut the door behind her as she left, leaving Hermione to contemplate everything that was said.

She paced the room for hours thinking and burning a hole in the window. So close now. All that was needed was for Sirius to arrive with the portkeys and they could begin their escape plan. They would have to be quick. They would both start out in the 'harem', but when Sirius left with the other girls Hermione was to go to the dungeons and leave with Narcissa and Draco. Apparently their portkey would take them to a hiding spot just outside Alphard's old house. Then they would wait until Sirius showed up with Kingsley to lead them to it.

It was all she could do to not think about all the holes in their plan.

The minutes ticked by. It was now six o'clock. She darted a glance to the tiny little sack she had packed with food in case of emergencies. She also made sure that the book she had taken from that day in the library was there too. It was full of invaluable spells and potions, things that she knew she shouldn't read, but couldn't help herself.

Six-thirty now. Argh! It was so frustrating to have to wait. She was so scared that something would go wrong at the last minute and they would be found out.

Oh, where was Sirius. Were they still talking? Shouldn't they be leaving now?

Suddenly, at ten to seven, the door opened and Sirius Black strode through, shutting it quickly behind him. He smiled a quick strained smile and gave her a slightly devilish look.

"My dear… it is time."


	18. The Escape

Hermione fought down the urge to vomit from anxiety and instead crossed the room and grabbed the bag full of food. She waved her hand and the book shrunk as well, floating into the bag along with the food.

"Hold out your arms," Sirius commanded briskly. His nerves were thrumming too. He concentrated and muttered a spell. When that didn't work, he went on to another one. The third time was the charm and the bracelets separated down the middle and floated off of her arms, disappearing into thin air.

She genuinely smiled at Sirius and rubbed the skin that hadn't seen daylight for over two months. He also transfigured her clothes into more practical garments. Well, at least practical for him it seemed. She frowned down at her black dress and boots.

"Can't I at least have jeans?" she whined, not bothering to wait for an answer. It didn't really matter anyway.

"Wait. I have something for you. I've been saving it as surprise." He drew out a long slender piece of wood from within his robes and handed it to her.

She was almost speechless. He had found her wand.

"I grabbed it after you were taken just in case," he explained, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.

"Thank you," she told him and meant it. He could tell and that made a difference.

They waited for five more minutes just to make sure that everyone was gone. Well, everyone that mattered. There would still be people there, but hopefully they would be taking the night off so to speak. They stole quickly out of the room and walked to the stairway leading up all floors of the manor.

She really wished that she could just go to the dungeon and let Sirius take care of the girls, but she didn't want anything to wrong. They only knew him as a traitor who helped lead them into this life. Hermione had not risked telling anyone the plan beforehand. She gripped her wand tighter and cocked an ear to the door when they arrived.

She heard the lighthearted chatter of the girls and decided that it was safe to go in. Pushing open the door, she saw more girls than last time she was here. They must be the girls that had turned sixteen and seventeen recently, she thought.

All activity stopped and Griselda looked over at her, smirking slightly.

"Hermione what's going on?" one of the girls asked.

She walked quickly over to Avery's slave who had just opened her mouth to say something and quickly withdrew her wand and stunned her.

Collective gasps could be heard all around the room as the girl slumped over. She turned back and faced them.

"Listen, we have to act quickly. Everyone who has not been given to a specific Deatheater, hold out your arms. Sirius Black here is going to remove the bracelets so we can leave this place."

They scrambled over to Sirius but looked over and Griselda in astonishment, who was just sitting there watching the activity. She rolled her eyes at them and looked at a fingernail speculatively.

Sirius began to rapidly wave his wand and one by one the gauntlets fell off. Only Pavarti stayed behind, looking dully out the window. Hermione walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder gently.

"Pavarti, I'm sorry," she said quietly, letting the background noise drown out around her. Pavarti sighed and shrugged.

"There's nothing that can be done about it now. I can only pray that Rabastan dies in the attack tonight." Her voice was resigned and Hermione felt guilty for leaving her.

"Well, I'll be with you; whatever happens we'll face it together," a voice behind her sounded.

Hermione whirled to see Lavender standing there. Pavarti looked up in alarm. "Are you crazy? Lav, you have to go."

Lavender shook her head. "I do not, and besides you're my best friend. Did you really think that I would leave you here when you need me the most? What would _you_ do?" she asked, hands on hips, "And you better say 'I'd stay'."

Hermione was torn. Pavarti sighed and looked guilty but the color had returned to her face more. She was happy that she wouldn't be alone now.

Hermione turned to leave and laid a hand on Lavender's shoulder. "Good luck," she said looking meaningfully at both girls. They smiled grimly and nodded.

Hermione walked back over to Sirius who was holding out the portkey. "Listen up. I want every girl to at least have a body part touching this. There's more of you than we thought but it can still work. We have about a minute to get positioned and then I will activate it. Is that clear?"

They nodded fearfully. "Where is it taking us?"

"To the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," Hermione interrupted, making sure each girl was touching the portkey.

"Well, not quite," Sirius corrected, "Where we are going is extremely close. But we can't risk the location. There are just too many of you. After we get there and the Order regroups, you will be sent away along with your families into another country for protection."

Hermione wondered where exactly they were going. A sliver of fear ran through her as she wondered if Sirius was going to betray them. She pushed that thought aside. It would do no good and it was too late to stop anything now.

Sirius locked eyes with her and handed her what looked like a necklace and a folded piece of paper. He leaned close when he saw the questioning look in her eyes. "You are going to leave here whether you can save them or not. Do you understand? I won't let you be caught, and if it comes down to it you, at least, will be able to leave if things get sticky."

She frowned.

"The paper has the activation word on it. Get those two to touch the necklace and they will come with you. If not," he let the words hang in the air.

At least I'll get out. He didn't give a shit about the Malfoy's and why should he? She nodded and watched as he closed his eyes and muttered something. The brush started glowing blue and all ten girls disappeared.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. At least that part of the plan was going good. She briefly glanced back at Lavender and Pavarti and then at Griselda who nodded and waved her on. She took a breath and slipped out of the room quickly.

At the window Lavender cocked her head for a moment. "Wait a minute. What happened to Katie?"

Xxxxx

Hermione crept along the hall and over to a familiar portrait that she had used weeks ago with Draco. She knew that at least she could make it into his room undetected. It would lessen her chances of being caught and from there she could steal away to the dungeons.

Now she just had to remember the password he had used. She had been out of it at the time and hadn't paid much attention, but she did at least remember what it had sounded like.

It was a painting of a rather fat old geezer if she did say so herself. He looked at her disgruntled and pursed his lips. "You're not a Malfoy," he stated.

She sighed. "Naturally. And thank God. I need to use this shortcut so give me a minute and I'll think of the password."

He yawned widely and plucked a piece of cheese from an enormous plate sitting next to him. "Are you by any chance a one Miss Hermione Granger?"

She stared at him in shock. "Yes. Why?"

He glared at her tone but answered anyway. "The boy instructed me to let you in should you ever have need of this passage. I guess you are a fortunate girl." He swung open and waved her through, slamming his door behind her.

She was stunned at this new information. Draco had done that for her? But why? How he could he have known that one day she would need it? Well, as soon as she broke him out he could answer that himself.

She briskly trotted down the passage until she came to the end of it.

"Lumos," she whispered and everything lighted up.

Lucius' sister was there just as she had been earlier, all decked out in pale pink and blue. She looked surprised and delighted to see another human face.

"Well hello again. I see you are better dressed this time," she noted approvingly. "But why are you here by yourself? Where is dear Draco?"

Hermione sighed. What could the truth hurt? "He's been imprisoned by Lord Voldemort in the dungeons. I'm going to get him out, but first I've got to get through."

His aunt pursed her lips and looked at her. "That news is most shocking indeed. I never approved of my brother becoming one his followers. It would only end badly, I said. I was sort of a nuisance in my lifetime and I think that is why I was put in here. I never see anyone." She looked so sad that Hermione figured what could it hurt?

"If you want I'll put you in Draco's room. You'll have a better chance of seeing someone in there." Yeah, probably Draco sexing up some girl, but she left that part out.

"That would be lovely," his aunt clapped. "My name is Arabella Malfoy. What's yours?"

"Hermione. But I really need to go now. Is that password still 'fiendfyre'?"

Arabella nodded. She swung open and Hermione reached around and snatched her off her settings. The door stayed opened now and Hermione didn't want to draw attention to it. She waved her wand over to the hole and a large wardrobe moved in front of it.

She thanked Arabella and stashed her next to Draco's bed against the wall. Time was short, she knew and she dashed over the door. Wait a minute. Should she bring anything for Draco? Would he need clothes? Maybe his broom?

Couldn't hurt, she decided and shrank his broom, some clothes, and a small book that looked like a journal. It all fit into her bag and she decided that was enough for now. Opening the door quietly she peered around the frame and listened for anyone coming.

There was no one and she stole out and sprinted across the hall to the stairs that led down the first floor. From there she knew that she had to around the Great Library (where she had never been allowed, she grumped) and past the bust of Abraxas to get down to the dungeons.

Everything was eerily quiet, she noticed. It made her shiver. Her stomach was turning form being so close to her goal and yet still so far away. This was so easy, she thought. Almost too easy. What if it was a trap?

Griselda had appeared to be helping her but what if she wasn't? And besides that Avery knew the truth about her but hadn't turned her in yet. Was he waiting for an escape attempt? Was he baiting her?

She would never know until she went down there and saw for herself. The library flashed by as did Draco's stuffy old grandfather and suddenly she was in front of it. She listened for any sign of guards. If there were no guards down there she would know it was trap. Voldemort would never be careless that way.

To her relief she did hear a voice. She strained to listen, to make sure it wasn't Draco or his mother, and readied her wand. As soon as she opened the door the guard would move to see who it was and she could stun him from the top of the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her wand and opened the door with a loud cringing noise.

"What in the name of Merlin was that?" a loud voice grumped.

Oh god, it was Dolohov. She recognized the voice before she saw him. She had supposed that a lesser Deatheater would have been left in charge, not one of the more skilled duelists. Still, she guessed that he had gotten into a lot of trouble when he had gone against the Dark Lord's wishes.

As soon as she saw his head, she sent a stunning spell his way. His surprised face crumpled to the floor with a loud thud and she hurried downstairs, kicking his body on the way past it. She glanced around for Narcissa and Draco and found them immediately. They weren't even in cells, simply chained to the floor and the wall.

"Granger? What the hell are you doing here?" Draco rasped, looking worse for the wear. His face was paler than normal and his clothes were torn and dirty. He also looked like he had a gotten a dose of the Cruciatus a time or two.

"What does it look like, Draco? I'm saving you," she chuckled, going over to Narcissa who looked worse than her son. Her blonde hair was partially in her face and her expensive clothes had dirt and blood all over them. She stared up at Hermione in shock.

"Why are you helping us? I don't understand," she murmured.

Hermione hesitated for a moment. "Because… Draco was nice to me when it mattered the most," she said finally, unlocking her shackles and hoisting her up. She turned to Draco and did the same thing.

"Where are your wands?" she asked Draco.

Before he could answer, a silky smooth voice behind her interrupted them.

"As a matter of fact, I have them," he said. She turned to see Avery. They locked wands at each other throats and Draco took Narcissa protectively behind him.

Avery smirked at her and let his eyes travel down her body. She decided it was time to be frank.

"Ah, memories," she said quietly, cocking her head and gauging his reaction.

He looked up and was only briefly surprised before he smiled. "Ah, so you know. Yes, it was me in the dungeon, not your precious Potter. I wonder though, just when you figured it out."

"I was told afterwards obviously," she sneered hoping he didn't see through her. She didn't want him alerting his friends before the Order had a chance to win tonight.

He shrugged and Hermione took a small step forward, keeping her wand at the ready. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you really think that you have a chance to escape now? You see, I've known your secret for awhile now. Did you think that I wouldn't have told the Dark Lord about your wandless magic? Your plans for escape?"

"Then why did you let me get this far? I've been wondering it since that night I was drugged."

"You remember? I'm surprised. Lucius gave you a dose that should have left you brain damaged, nothing but a worthless shell for fucking." His mind wandered back to their encounter. "Yes, Narcissa, did you know what your husband was up to while you were gone?"

A ragged breath was sucked in. "Of course I knew, Avery. I'm not stupid. I knew everything that happened."

Well, that was a little disconcerting and Hermione shot her a weird look briefly. Draco looked pissed off.

"Just tell me, how long have you been able to perform while still wearing the gauntlets?"

"Since that night. I didn't even know that I _could_ do magic until I accidentally used Legilimens on you."

"Attempted," he corrected and she rolled her eyes, inwardly counting the seconds that were passing them by. The Deatheaters could return at any moment.

"Now _you_ tell me why you didn't tattle on me earlier?"

He shrugged. "Many reasons. At first I wanted to be sure. I also wanted to wait for the most opportune time. And because it was so much fun watching all the different ways you couldn't save yourself. I knew that you were smarter than the rest of them and was intrigued. I wanted to see what you would do. I saw you wave that shield down," he added, "in the dungeons with Antonin. That's why I came up with the plan to trick you. You weren't breaking fast enough for the Dark Lord."

She smiled now a wide broad smile and lowered her wand to her side. She took another step watching confusion flicker in his eyes. She stood close to his face, so close she could feel the energy that thrummed out of him. His breathing remained steady however, even though she knew inside he was aroused.

She pressed her face to his cheek so that her lips brushed his ear. His chest was hard against her body and for a brief, fleeting, insane moment she really wanted to see what he was like in bed in his own body. She could feel his wand pressing hard into her throat and she flicked her gaze to a point behind him and whispered.

"I knew it was you almost the whole time, Avery. And I liked it," she added wickedly in a whisper and stepped back just a little bit to smirk at him. "Goodbye."

He tensed at her last word but all of a sudden a voice in back of him cried, "Stupefy!"

His eyes glazed over and he fell to the floor. Hermione looked up to see Katie standing there in her gold and green colored two-piece uniform, wand out and satisfaction written all over her face.

Hermione smiled. "Katie, how on earth did you get Goyle to release you?"

She shrugged and sprang over to join them. "He is the most stupid human being on this planet. He bought me a bracelet and forgot that I couldn't wear it. So he took my gauntlets off so that I can for a few hours a day. Once they were off, I stole his wand and escaped. Griselda told me that you were down here so I snuck as quietly as I could, just in time to see Avery slink down the stairs."

Something nagged at Hermione as she motioned the three people around her to move closer. "Everybody grab hold of this necklace. It's a portkey that I can activate once everybody's ready." They all obeyed her and she looked once more at Katie before saying the word.

"What did you do with Goyle?" She thought she already knew the answer, but she had to ask.

Katie's eyes turned cold. "He's dead," she said flatly.

Draco tensed next to her but stayed silent.

"He got what he deserved." Her voice shook with fury and she continued. "I would have killed Dolohov too but I didn't want to give myself away to Avery."

Hermione regarded her for a moment. "Of course," she shrugged.

"What are you doing with them?"

Hermione looked over in surprise as if she had forgotten they were even there. "I'm bringing them with me to a safe house."

Katie looked at her like she was a lunatic.

"They haven't done anything, Katie. Let it be. Now are we ready?'

Everyone nodded and Hermione closed her eyes and said, "Phoenix rising."

She felt a sharp tug at her navel and everything spun around. They landed on the ground with a thud and she groaned and rolled over. Wherever they were it was chilly and foggy, she noticed sitting up and shivering. They might even be in Scotland.

There were caves in the distance and she yelled for everybody to follow her. She trudged up the hill and entered the dark mouth of the cave. It was still cold but not as bad as outside. They all collapsed onto the ground and breathed a sigh of relief.

Hermione tilted her face to the ceiling and breathed in. Katie was doing the same. They hadn't been outside since the invasion of Hogwarts.

"What do we do now?" Draco asked, putting a protective arm around his mother.

Hermione looked over. "We wait for Sirius," she said tiredly, putting her head in the crook of her arm.

XXXXXXXXXX

They ended up waiting for longer than she had anticipated. It wasn't until the next night that Sirius returned. He arrived outside the caves and sent his patronus ahead of him to Hermione.

Everyone looked up as a silver dog bounded into the dark cavern.

"I've returned. Meet me outside. I've got Kingsley." Then the patronus disappeared into the air.

"Finally!"

"Thank Merlin!"

The four of them scrambled outside the cave to the bottom where they saw a black cloaked figure standing next to a lump on the ground. The hood came off and they saw Sirius' exhausted face.

"Sorry it took me so long, but I had to chase this one down." He jerked his head toward the motionless form at his feet.

Draco couldn't take it anymore. "What happened with the attack? Who won?" He had been agonizing over every possible fate that could have befallen his father in the last twenty-four hours. Sure, he was angry as hell and certainly had lost a huge chunk of respect for the man, but the fact remained that Lucius was his father. Family stuck together, at least his family did.

Sirius groaned and levitated the Kingsley into the air. "We'll talk about it on the way. Follow me," he instructed, waving his arm in a wide sweeping motion. He started forward and the other wearily fell in line.

They were looking forward to eating something other than what had come out of Hermione's sack. She strode forward until she was at Sirius' side. Draco took the other side.

"Well, our plan went accordingly. We managed to kill five Deatheaters and capture another six."

She heard Draco gasp. "What do you mean? It was a trap?"

Sirius tossed him an annoyed glance. "Of course."

"You knew about this and you didn't tell me?" Draco asked accusingly at her, peering around Sirius body.

She looked at him incredulously. "Just how did you think that I would inform you of that? I'm the one that told them where the headquarters location was. I could ask you why you didn't tell me that Avery was planning to trick me using Harry as a disguise?"

He reddened. "I didn't know about that. You _knew _that they would be walking into a trap."

Her anger was rising. "Of course I knew. That was the point. I would rather have died than betrayed my friends. If your kind knew anything about loyalty they would know that about me."

"You think I don't know about loyalty?" he yelled, jerking the restraining arm of his mother away. "You don't know anything about me. People I care about could be dead right now and you don't care."

She whirled around and jerked his sleeve back until they were a slight distance away from the rest. She waved them on furiously, taking a step to show that they were going to be following. Narcissa gave her an impenetrable look before reluctantly turning to follow her cousin.

Hermione tried to keep her voice as low as possible and Draco jerked his arm away form her hand. "Have you forgotten the three _fucking_ days I spent unconscious from loss of blood after one night with _your_ father? Or the _week _I spent afterwards on your bed recuperating?" she hissed at his face.

He looked away and flushed again but this time from embarrassment. He was uncomfortable talking about those things. "No," he said in a low voice, "How could you think that I could ever forget that?"

Her anger wasn't diminished. "You speak as though you already have. The things you know about are nothing compared to everything your _fucking_ father did to me," she spat, "I can't have children anymore because of him, though I know that's a good thing, right? A few less mudbloods in the world."

He angrily opened his mouth to retort, but she cut him off. "Let me make some things very clear to you, Draco. I _hate_ your father more than I hate anybody. If I had to choose between killing him or Voldemort I would selfishly choose him. If I ever get the chance I will torture him into insanity before finishing him off." She stepped forward closer and he could see her face had tightened until barely any muscles moved except those she used to speak with. Her eyes had a wildness about them that made him uneasy.

"If he dies I will feel sorry for you because I know you love him, and I like you. You helped me when I needed it badly and for that I can only hope that what I do for you now repays my debt to you. But, don't ever talk to me again about him or the supposed guilt I should feel for not giving a shit whether he lives or dies."

She was shaking by the time she left him. Her eyes were blazing and her face was pale. She walked quickly back to where the others had just stopped walking. She was so lost in her anger that it took Sirius three times to call her name before she answered him, though not politely at all.

"What?" she snapped, drawing a hand up to rub her neck.

He looked taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered. "This doesn't work like the Fidelius Charm. Even if you told somebody where the house was they still couldn't find it. I'm the only one. So, once I put on this ring and say the incantation it should let me see exactly where the house is. I assume that because you are with me the four of you will see it too."

It made absolutely no sense to her but she didn't care at the moment. Her anger was battling inside her and she just gave a short head jerk and waved him to get on with his business. Instead, she walked over to Kingsley and withdrew the cloak from over his sleeping face.

She remembered that same face standing behind her while she was dueling for her life. The coldness and hatred as he sent a stunning spell to her back and then fled the scene like a traitorous snake. She had been waiting for this chance ever since she learned about his part in her capture.

Right now her morals were fighting a losing battle with her personal vendetta. She stayed quiet as she flipped the hood back over his face and slipped back to Sirius' side. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was concentrating hard on something and muttering.

He opened his eyes and she looked up at him wondering if it had worked. He smiled and pointed straight ahead and she looked over and gasped in surprise. It was a three story stone house with ivy and moss growing on the sides. A dark red door stood in the middle flanked by two windows on either side. It reminded her of the old 18th century houses she had seen in paintings before. Plain but pretty. Like a large cottage.

"This is it," he said with a relieved note in his voice, "though Merlin only knows what's waiting for us inside. No one has been in there since '76 or '78… something like that." They just stared at it in silence until Hermione cleared her throat.

"Well, we might as well get inside and start settling in."

They trudged up to the door and opened it, filing inside until they all stood shoulder to shoulder and the door was closed.

"Huh," Katie said in surprise, "It's clean. And pretty."

It was true. It was furnished and looked like it had been recently cleaned. Hermione looked over as a thought struck her. "There aren't any house elves are there?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. There could be I guess. We'll know sooner or later."

"You'd better be nice to this one," she muttered glancing sideways at Narcissa who thankfully didn't see her. Draco gave her a pointed glare however and she glared back, but looked away.

"First things first, let's get this one nicely locked up in shackles," Sirius said giving Kingsley a hard jab with his wand. "Maybe someone else can find something to eat or better yet, find out if there's a house elf."

Katie volunteered and went to walk past but Hermione stopped her. "Wait. You need to change clothes remember? You'll freeze to death in that."

Sirius frowned at her as if just noticing she was barely dressed still. "Why didn't someone transfigure you clothes?"

Katie glared at him. "Because the damn things apparently don't come off even when those bracelets aren't on. You or him," she jerked her head towards Draco, "have to do it."

He looked confused but Hermione stepped in. "The cave was really small. There was no room for privacy in there and we wanted to wait. I gave her a cloak which helped, I think." She looked over uncertainly at Katie.

"If one of you just quickly undoes both clasps, I can hold the pieces up and you can leave as soon as it's done. That way no one is embarrassed," she finished looking at both Draco and Sirius. Narcissa looked away and tightened her hand on Draco's arm briefly.

Katie cut in. "There is no way you're doing it," she spat at Draco. "You can." She looked angrily at Sirius nodded a little bewilderedly.

"I didn't want to touch you anyway, Bell," Draco shot back snidely, crossing his arms. Katie scowled at him and walked away toward the kitchen.

"Alright we'll fix Katie later as soon as we take care of Kingsley."

"I thought he was on your side," Draco interrupted looking down curiously at Kingsley dark face.

Hermione glared at the unconscious form still floating. "He was the leader of the Order after Dumbledore died." She had forgotten that Draco had been closely connected with his death, but paid that no heed as she continued, "He was the one who betrayed me during the attack on Hogwarts. He stunned me from behind as I was dueling a Deatheater."

Draco raised his eyebrows in shock and looked quickly back down. "Wow, what did you do to make him hate you that much?"

She pursed her lips in irritation. "I didn't do anything. As far as I can tell, he wanted me out of the way so that Harry would be more pliable and open to suggestion and manipulation from him. I figured that soon he would be trying to find a way to get rid of Ron as well. He sent Remus and Sirius to the manor as spies yes, but also to keep their influence on Harry down to a minimum."

Draco snorted. "Potter's that easy to brainwash huh?" He laughed.

"Just like many teenage boys are, _Draco_. And _you_ should talk," she said quietly giving him a pointed look.

He glowered and shifted his weight to his other leg and looked away.

Everything was taken care of fairly quickly. Kingsley was chained to a wall in the basement-- still out, Katie searched for a house elf, but found none so she began pulling things out of a seemingly freshly stocked pantry, and Narcissa and Draco picked out rooms close to each other on the second floor.

They ate a good, but hastily prepared meal in silence until Sirius broke it. "Alright, I assume everyone wants to know who got caught and killed and who didn't right?"

Everyone nodded for different reasons.

"Alright, well, I saw Crabbe go down as well as, Nott Sr., Rowle, Yaxley, and some new boy that I don't know the name of. Looked foreign to me," he said absently, stabbing his fork into a lump of potatoes and bringing it to his mouth.

"What about the captured?" Katie asked leaning forward expectantly.

He finished chewing and looked off to the side as if thinking. "We captured quite a few important Deatheaters. Bellatrix, Rabastan, Macnair, Nott Jr., Mulciber, and another lesser known to me."

Hermione was stunned. Everyone else was too, she could tell by the looks on their faces that they hadn't expected that many of Voldemort's most powerful followers to be taken. But, where were they being kept? She frowned and looked over at Sirius.

"What is going to happen to them? They're not going to Ahzkaban are they?"

He looked over at her. "I don't know honestly. Arthur took over as leader of the Order after the attack. Thankfully none of our people went down. Only a few were injured but nothing serious."

She shook her head, still thinking about the prisoners. "If they send them to Ahzkaban they are as good as free. Did anyone from the Ministry get word of the attack?"

He sighed and nodded. "It will be nearly impossible to keep them out of Ahzkaban now that Ministry knows. There are too many spies and closet supporters of Him."

His words sank into everyone's minds and a gloom descended. Hermione wondered what Narcissa and Draco were thinking about. They were probably happy that their relatives and friends weren't going to stay locked up for very long. Katie kept shooting them bitter looks out of the corner of her eye and Hermione picked at her food until it seemed appropriate to get up and go to bed.

She had picked out a room on the third floor near the stairs. It made her feel better knowing that the escape route was close by. Her room was decorated plainly in blues and whites and the bed looked as if it were a couple hundred years old. She hoped the mattress was newer.

The sheets were fresh and smelled good. She wondered how everything was so clean and fresh in the house with apparently no help. Charms maybe? She yawned and wondered if she would be able to sleep through her nerves. She still wasn't so sure that they were Unplottable. It would take time to relax in this place.

She never heard anyone else come up the stairs and by the time they did she was already in a deep sleep. A couple days stuck in a cave will do that to even the most frazzled of nerves apparently.


	19. Torture, Breakfast, and Breakthroughs

**Disclaimer- I own nothing.**

**A/N- Just a warning, there isn't a lot of excitement in this chapter. Some conversation among other things—speculation, that sort of thing.**

There were few moments- in Hermione's opinion- that could quite compare to watching the face of a person who's gravely wronged you as he comes to the realization that he is screwed.

It gave her a powerful sense of victory and dominance as she stared at Kingsley who in turn stared at her. When she had first crept down to the basement in the wee hours of the morning he had still been asleep. Sirius had bound him with magically reinforced chains that connected to the wall behind him and the floor. No blankets or pillows were given to him as his comfort was not a concern for anyone in the house.

Sirius said he hadn't been able to tell which Deatheater was Severus during the attack. Given that the potions professor was a skilled duelist as well as highly trained in the dark arts it was probably that he had survived the battle unscathed. And of course he was one of the only wizards who had actually known it was a trap.

But Severus hadn't contacted them yet. He said that he would do it through Draco and she could only assume that their Dark Marks allowed them that.

She held her wand in her hand as she squatted down in front of Kingsley, bracing her arms on her thighs to steady herself. Staring at his face now, she could barely contain the anger and hatred that assaulted her as she remembered what he had done.

His eyes fluttered open and he moaned and shifted on the floor. She made sure she kept her distance. She didn't want him overpowering her and freeing himself. A good thing about being in captivity for so long was that she knew how a prisoner thought; what was going through his head.

As soon as he had seen her, she saw that at first he was confused. Then he was disbelieving. Then, as he looked down and saw that he was chained to the floor and wall, the panic set in. He remembered Sirius chasing him down during the attack at the Burrow. He had gotten away through apparition, but Sirius had snagged his foot at the last minute and had been taken along for the ride.

Kingsley was a much bigger man than Sirius and managed to subdue him for a time while he apparated away. All would have been lost for them if Sirius hadn't put a spell on the place that Kingsley had been using as a second home of sorts; the one the Ministry wasn't aware of. Sirius only knew about it because he had followed him there after an Order meeting one day, after the students had been taken prisoner. The spell had alerted him when Kingsley entered the house and Sirius snuck in and stunned him.

"Hello Kings. Comfortable?" Hermione asked cocking her head and smirking.

He narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "Where's Sirius?"

She stood up to stretcher legs and waved in the general direction of the basement ceiling. "Oh, I'm sure he's still asleep. Or drunk," she added. "It must have been stressful chasing you down for an entire day." She laughed and turned her back to him, casually strolling around the basement like it was very interesting. In truth she was wondering if she should spare his life or not. He _did _deserve it.

But then she thought that murder might make the dark magic in her stronger. She didn't know how that worked but it made sense to her. Another thing she was aware of was that the desire to have It removed was growing slightly dimmer as of late.

"When the Order hears about this, every witch or wizard involved will be thrown into Ahzkaban."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well, the Weasely's know about what you did, so I would guess that by now the rest of the Order does too. That also means Harry," she told him with contempt turning to face him. He noticed that her grip on her wand had tightened.

"I don't know what lies Sirius has been telling you, but whatever it is I am innocent. There is no reason to have me chained up like this," he protested smoothly.

"It's no use lying, Kingsley. I know it was you that stunned me while my back was turned; while I was dueling for my life," she said, her anger mounting with each word she spoke.

His color waned slightly but he still kept up his denial. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Hermione. If you could just calm down we could--,"

She cut him off. "Sirius saw you on the stairwell that night."

They both knew what she was talking about. "And is being on a stairwell a crime?"

"No, it isn't a crime. But, siding with the enemy of the wizarding world is. And your actions have spoken for themselves. Betraying me may not be a crime but it is certainly bad for your health, Kingsley. Sirius had the foresight to capture his memory in a little bottle for me to see." She smiled at his dawning horror and decided to continue.

"The best part is," she paused, "I wasn't the only one to see that memory. Voldemort has seen it also… and he is _very_ interested in you," she finished in almost a whisper.

For the first time that morning, he looked truly terrified. It was odd to see such a big, strong, solid man as Kingsley terrified for his life. He _should_ be terrified.

"But, don't worry Kings. Someone should be arriving shortly to whisk you away from this horrible place and put you in safekeeping. After all we'll need you alive and in good health for the trial and punishment you'll receive after the war is finished."

Some color had returned to his face and she knew what he was thinking. The war could last a long while; plenty of time to escape or cover his tracks.

"Of course," she continued, pretending to think, "if you're _dead_, there won't be any reason for a trial."

His eyes grew wide. He could tell that whatever had happened at Lucius Malfoy's house had changed her and not for the better. He could very much see the ability to kill in her eyes. "Dead?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, dead."

"But, you don't want to kill me, Hermione. Your soul… you'd be sinking down to their level." He was grasping at straws he knew, but he didn't want to die. And he knew that she wouldn't make it a quick death either.

She laughed humorlessly. "My soul was damaged when I was given to the Malfoy family like chattel. Like property. Or maybe it was the first time I was raped. Or when I found out I was no longer able to bear children. Not like I wanted any right now, but I figured maybe someday." Her tone was sarcastic and brimming with malice, hurt, fury, and sadness.

"Or maybe my soul was damaged when I let Voldemort kill my family instead of betraying Harry and the Order. Or when I started doing things voluntarily instead having to be forced," she whispered staring off at the wall opposite her, her knuckles white against the dark wood of her wand.

"Remus and Sirius were the ones who--," he started only to be hit with a stinging hex across his face. The chains rattled as he drew a hand up to cover the wounded area.

"Remus and Sirius were acting on your orders and believe me, Kingsley it may not be at my hand but one day they _will_ get what they deserve. But, see the thing is, I'm in a really petty mood right now. Those two didn't betray me personally. They didn't have anything to do with me getting captured, but you did… when you left me for dead. And so, _you_ are the one that a good portion of my hatred is burning for right now."

She stopped talking and held out her wand, aiming directly at his chest. Her brown eyes locked with his darker ones and she could practically smell his fear. It invigorated her. She wondered if the Deatheaters felt like this when they were torturing her.

"Hermione, I'm very sorry. It was a bad thing of me to do. I got so caught up in running the Order and trying to get Harry to do the things I wanted him to do that I forgot myself along the way."

She nodded. "Yes, you did. Fortunately, in my vast experience with torture and pain, nothing can make you realize what's truly important than seeing your life flash before your eyes as your body wants to die over and over again. Think of it this way. I'll be helping you," she laughed and before he could open his mouth, she cursed him.

For the first time in her life, she used an Unforgiveable. The Cruciatus to start with. She was planning on using one of the other ones later, but for now she wanted him to feel every ounce of pain that she had felt over the summer.

He writhed on the floor and screamed until he thought his throat would actually explode from inside. Her hatred and rage fueled the curse even more and she closed her eyes. After only ten seconds she let it off of him. It still scared her to use it and to be the cause of another human's suffering.

He gasped and whimpered on the floor, holding his stomach and lying on his side.

"Have you found yourself yet, Kingsley?" she asked venomously. He opened his mouth to speak, but she didn't give him the chance.

His screams echoed off the stone walls and this time she grew more bold. Her guilt eased somewhat.

"Hermione!"

She lowered her wand and whirled around to see Sirius standing on the stairwell, looking like he had just thrown a robe on and dashed down the stairs. She didn't know what to say so she merely looked at him in silence. The only thing that could be heard was Kingsley's gasping and choking sounds.

Slowly Sirius descended step by step until he was within a couple feet of her. He looked confused and sad and angry all at the same time.

"Hermione, this isn't right. You are _not_ a Deatheater. You don't torture people."

She flushed and pressed her lips into a thin line. "It's my right, Sirius. He deserves this." She set her jaw mutinously at him.

He grew angry with her. "Hermione put down your wand and get upstairs. He is a prisoner. You could go to Ahzkaban for this."

"Who would tell on me? You?" she laughed, lowering her wand as he had asked.

He looked at her like she was a naughty child and it annoyed her.

"Kingsley is a respected wizard, Hermione. There will be rumors and talk. A lot of the Order know that he is a traitor and so does Voldemort. It will leak and if the war ends in our favor they could prosecute you. And besides that, it is wrong." He spoke evenly and quietly, trying to calm her down and see reason.

"I will use whatever means is necessary to keep you from doing this. It's you I care about not him," he added, moving closer to her to gaze into her eyes.

She saw the pain and vulnerability in them, but it only confused her. She was so angry, but he was making her feel ashamed and guilty. She took one last look at Kingsley and turned away from Sirius, walking back up the stairs and into the ground floor of the house.

The door slammed behind her and she walked into the kitchen to see about some coffee and food. What if this place didn't have a way to make coffee? Maybe there was a spell or something, she muttered to herself, angrily pushing the swinging doors open and walking in with a scowl.

She stopped short when she saw Katie, Draco, and Narcissa all look up at her from their various places in the kitchen. Narcissa was at the table, Draco was standing by the pantry and Katie was cooking something at the stove. She turned and saw Hermione's curious look.

"My mother was a muggle," she explained satisfying her friend's curiosity. Hermione nodded in understanding and went to the refrigerator.

"There's a refrigerator?"

"Yeah, it seems that Alphard found many Muggle appliances useful," Katie explained. She paused and looked over at Hermione. "I was awakened by some unusual noises this morning."

Hermione stiffened inside the fridge. "Oh really? What sort of noises?"

Draco spoke for her. "The kind that a person who's being tortured would make." He sounded angry at her which was a surprise.

She tightened her face and straightened up, shutting the door and holding a jug of fresh OJ. "You would know, wouldn't you?"

He scowled and threw his cup in the sink. He stalked over to the table where his mother sat, her usual 'I smell shit somewhere' expression on.

"I don't see why you care what sort of noises Kingsley makes anyway. And I don't need your self-righteous attitude, Malfoy," she sneered, "If he had screwed over you or your family he would be dead right now. Tell me I'm wrong," she said when he looked ready to contradict her.

"Whatever," he muttered, knowing that she spoke the truth. His father would have slaughtered anyone who had betrayed him.

"Well, I think he got what he deserved," Katie said, slapping some food on her plate.

Hermione looked triumphantly at her and sat down at the table to sip her juice. The door opened behind her and she paused slightly before continuing with her drink. She knew it was Sirius moving through the room. She was going to ignore him, but a sudden thought struck her.

"Hey, Sirius, do you know where Harry is? I mean, when can I see him?"

Sirius turned to look at her and swallowed some of his anger to answer her. "Harry is going to continue with his plans for this year. I think he's leaving after Fleur and Bill's wedding."

Her heart sank, but she knew it was a good thing that they were still going. She knew Sirius didn't want to say too much in front of the two Malfoy's so she chose her words carefully.

"Is there a way that you can find out if he and… Ron can come here before…?"

He paused and considered her words for a minute. A slow smile spread across his face. "Yeah, maybe I could. He and Ron have been going crazy since you were taken. The night he found out," he shook his head, "it wasn't pretty. He was so furious that we had basically lied to him all summer."

She was irritated at that. "Why would you guys lie to him?"

He gave her a look that doubted her intelligence at the moment. "Have you met Harry Potter? Could you imagine what he would have done if he had known _where_ you were being kept? I mean he knew that you were taken that night, but the details," he shook his head and sipped his drink.

"I imagine that something involving some half-cocked harebrained scheme, his cloak, and Ron would have been in order and _he_ would have killed."

Draco snorted into his drink and Hermione shot him a dirty look. Narcissa had been silent for almost the entire journey and stay so far, but now she spoke up quietly. "The manor is heavily warded with almost every dark spell imaginable."

"Yes, we know," Sirius said with slight irritation. He had really been trying to get along with his cousin, but it was hard to put away a lifetime of resentment and ill-feelings.

She gave him a disproving look. "As I was saying, it is heavily warded but there are weaknesses if you know where to look."

Everyone was silent for a moment and Draco looked at his mother in shock. To accept protection and hospitality was one thing but to actively side against the Dark Lord was another. It was dangerous, for them and for Father.

Sirius looked at her. "Like where?"

She tossed a hand. "I imagine, unless something has changed, that the fifth tunnel still hasn't been discovered yet."

"The fifth tunnel?"

She nodded. "There are four running under the house in all directions-north, south, east, west. There is however a fifth one running parallel to the northern tunnel heading toward--,"

"London," Sirius cut in, his excitement rising.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is the only tunnel that the Malfoy ancestors went to a great deal of trouble to conceal. It is virtually undetectable through magic and the entrance to the tunnel from inside the manor is so well concealed that you've probably walked by it everyday without knowing."

This new information was digested by all for a good five minutes until they heard a banging noise from the basement. Hermione snorted and went to rise.

"I guess he's hungry. I'll bring him some food."

Sirius glared at her. "I don't think so. You sit. I'll do it."

She chuckled in amusement not really thinking that was going to let her go anyway. It had been a joke. ""So are you going to tell the Order about the tunnel?"

Sirius nodded. "I'll need to find out more about it of course, but if we can get in there and get the rest of the students and possibly disrupt Voldemort's plans even a little then it would have been worth it. I wonder how many are left?" he mused.

Hermione did the calculations aloud. "Well, we started with twenty-three in the dungeons. One girl was killed that night for getting on Voldemort's nerves." She ignored the Mafloy's twin flinches at his name.

"That leaves twenty-two, minus me, Katie, Lavender, Pavarti, and that bitch that Avery converted." She wrinkled her nose. "She actually _likes_ him," she repeated for the millionth time, still not believing it. He was _not_ a nice person.

Draco and Narcissa shared a look of mutual revulsion at the mention of the girl who was the cause of their present trouble. Draco revulsion melted and he looked confused for a moment. "Why didn't Lavender and Pavarti come with you?"

Hermione set her jaw grimly and looked down at the table. "Pavarti is pregnant with Rabastan Lestrange's spawn. Twins. Voldemort forced them to get married the night before our escape. So that means that whatever tracking device Lestrange put on her, he is the only one who can remove it."

"And Lavender?"

Hermione gave a small smile when she remembered the girl. "She wouldn't leave Pavarti behind all alone."

"So that's seventeen girls left," Sirius calculated, but Hermione shook her head.

"A few had been moved up after they had turned sixteen. Two of the original group left with you and all together you took ten, so that leaves…" she mentally calculated and arrive at, "seven, I think."

"They must be mostly boys left," Katie pointed out, "I remember quite a few boys with us in the dungeon that first night. Seamus was there," she added, sadly.

Hermione looked up at Sirius. "Seven is doable right? We can help them escape if we alerted the Order and chose a few capable people to come with us."

The others gaped at her. Draco voiced his objections bluntly.

"Us? Are off your rocker? We are not going back there."

Katie adamantly agreed with him. "I'm sorry, but there is no way I'm setting foot back in that hell hole.'

"Hey," Draco said indignantly, "that hell hole is my home."

"Well, that explains it," she muttered, ignoring the glares from mother and son.

Hermione held up a hand. "I didn't mean that you three should go back there. That would defeat the entire purpose of getting you out of there. Narcissa, you would killed immediately, and Draco…," she hesitated, really not wanting to even think about Lucius, but wanting to get something off her chest that she had been thinking about. "Look, Voldemort is adamant about keeping the old pureblood families alive and kicking, at least in name anyway."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, he only needs one male alive to carry on the family name. I'm pretty sure that as long as he only has one of you in his grasp, that person will remain alive. But if he were to get a hold of the other, then…," she paused again, and let her sentence drift off.

"So it's either me or my father, that's what you're saying?" he asked, turning red with fear and anger.

She shrugged. "I've been thinking. He's sending Bellatrix after Andromeda simply for the reason that she is a Black; a pureblood. He expressed desire to marry her to Rabastan or Goyle. Rabastan is married already and Goyle is dead." She let the weight of her words sink in to everyone's minds.

Narcissa looked stunned and horrified, as did Sirius and Draco. Katie didn't give two shits about any of these people that they were discussing. She ate her breakfast in silence.

"Avery I think would be his first choice, if he weren't already married. Of all the wizards in his inner circle your father is the one who in Voldemort's eyes will soon be free to marry whoever he chooses. You can't. You're blood related to her," she said frankly.

"You think he's going to murder my mother and have my _aunt_ marry him against her will?" His tone was disbelieving and aghast.

Hermione sighed and put her fork down. "Why not? He was going to make her marry _some_body against her will. I don't think your father would have been his first choice if all had gone according to plan. Voldemort still would have had you. He would have looked for another unmarried wizard with no heirs. But, now he'll be weighing the two of you in his mind. On one hand, you're younger and more easily managed. On the other hand, Lucius has proven himself, has more experience, and hasn't betrayed him yet."

Hermione continued. "The point is, we don't know which of you he wants yet or for what reason."

"We need to get Andromeda before she's found by that bitch," Sirius said, "Their still licking their wounds right now, but by morning Voldemort will have patrols out looking for her and the two of you. And maybe even me," he admitted, "Marrying first cousins amongst the purebloods is rare but it isn't unheard of."

Hermione and Katie wrinkled up their noses at the three purebloods sitting across from them. "Eww," they muttered, grimacing.

"My parents were first cousins," Sirius added, nonchalantly.

Hermione choked on her eggs for a minute. "What? Are you joking?"

He shook his head and laughed at her expression. But then he shuddered. "I swear, he would have to put me under the Imperius to get me to do that. I mean, Andromeda's like my sister."

Hermione nodded. "I know what you mean. It would be like me marrying Harry or something. He's like my brother."

"_What?_ You said that you were his girlfriend," Draco protested, and missed the glance his mother gave him.

Hermione gave a cocky smile. "I lied. Due to some extremely embarrassing circumstances in fifth year at Sirius' house, I saw his birthmark. I never dated him though. I just figured that I could protect Ginny and maybe live longer if he thought I was more useful than I really am."

Draco stayed silent and picked at his eggs.

Katie spoke up. "Is my family out of Great Britain yet?"

"I don't know exactly. Charlie was going to get them and take them to a friend's house in Romania."

"Who's Charlie?"

"Charlie Weasely, Ron's brother."

Katie nodded absently. "I was just wondering if I could go to them. It would be safe out of the country right? I mean, Voldemort wouldn't want to bother finding me now that he has others to worry about, would he?"

"Who knows what goes on inside his head," Sirius muttered. "I think we could arrange to have you snuck out. I'll be going to the Order within two days and I'll ask Charlie if he wouldn't mind making another trip. I doubt that he will."

Hermione felt a sinking feeling in her chest at the thought of Katie leaving. She was the only person who could somewhat sympathize with her; who had gone through similar experiences. And she was the only girl here, not including Narcissa (which Hermione didn't).

The talkative mood of the room died down after a few moments and they finished their food and one by one left the kitchen to go do something else. The library had looked like it was decently stocked and there was something brewing in her mind that she wanted to find out about.

XXXXXXXXXX

The hour had grown late and Hermione still hadn't left the library. She was excited. Combined with the book she had taken from Malfoy Manor, there were two more books with information on what she needed. She poured over her books, not hearing the footsteps that treaded lightly behind her.

A hand touched her shoulder fleetingly and she jumped up almost shrieking in fright.

"I'm sorry," Sirius apologized quickly, holding his hands up, "I didn't mean to frighten you. I was just trying to be quiet."

Her heart was still thudding in her chest but it was only half from fright. She was also nervous to be in the same room alone with Sirius. It had been different at the manor. They were tense and on edge and preoccupied with escape. Besides that, Sirius would have felt too guilty to have attempted anything physical with her. He would have felt like he was no different than a Deatheater.

But, since they had been free, she had noticed a marked difference in the way he responded to her. He was less guarded, allowed more to show through his eyes than he had before. It disturbed her because she still felt so much anger toward him, but at the same time, for some strange reason, she wanted him.

Maybe it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with wanting an escape of sorts. After all, she had willingly let Avery touch her… and she had liked it. She hated and feared Avery, but couldn't deny that she had loved fucking him. It was pain and pleasure in one, though she knew that he had been holding back the pain that time. He hadn't wanted to blow his cover with her.

And then there was Draco. She cared for him. She knew it was stupid and had tried hard not to, but under those circumstances it had been hard. He had been so right, that first night they had slept together. The night he was supposed to rape her and take her virginity.

She repeated his words over again in her head. His father really had ruined everything for her, every chance for her to have a normal relationship. It wasn't the sex she craved, for she had rarely climaxed during it, but instead it was the physical touch she craved.

Not harsh, bruising hands, but strong, firm, pleasing hands making her feel better, making her happy for just a little bit. Sex was her instrument of torture and it was now what she did to make herself feel better.

She just knew there was some Muggle psychological reason for why she was feeling this way but she didn't want to know about it.

Presently, Sirius moved closer. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course, you startled me that's all," she said quickly, gathering her books and closing them before he could see what she was reading about. He couldn't possibly know what she was planning to do but still, he would know she was up to no good either way.

She stacked the books and shoved them back on the shelf above the table and then went to move past him. He caught her arm and she jumped at the touch.

"Hermione." He said her name quietly, almost pleadingly, full of need.

She sucked in a breath and looked up into his face. His eyes were sharp and his full bottom lip was barely parted.

"What?" she asked hoarsely, wishing he would just go away. She was feeling nervous and fearful for some reason that was unknown to her. It was Sirius, she told herself, you've been sleeping in the same bed with him for weeks. Why would you get scared now?

He loosened his grip on her arm and studied her face closely. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. His face was unreadable for her right now and she didn't like it.

"Oh Hermione," he murmured, "you're still a child. Only sixteen." He raised a hand to her face and she stiffened for a moment. It was warm and gentle and her heart thudded nervously.

What was he doing? If he wanted something from her why didn't he just do it? If she didn't like it she would hex him.

He seemed to be talking to himself and wasn't looking for a response. She stood there awkwardly under his gaze and shifted.

He had come to the library looking for her. He had been going crazy the last couple days not being able to see her. Unbeknownst to her, he had developed a very strong physical attraction to her over the summer and even more so since she was put with him a couple weeks ago. The times that she had been forced to touch him, during the revel when she had been thrown in the dungeons, and when Avery had brought her back, had only stoked the fire to even greater heights.

He knew that she hated him and was angry with him still, but wanted her so bad that he didn't care. He knew there was a chance that she would be receptive to his advances if he were bold enough and if she didn't feel threatened by him.

As soon as he had said her name however, his voice betrayed his need and desire and he had seen her nervousness and fear and other countless emotions that were unnamed flit across her face.

And then it had hit him. What had gotten lost during everything that had happened between them and apart from each other.

She was just a child, a little girl, who had been abused and tortured in the very worst ways possible to hurt someone. People she was supposed to trust had betrayed that trust. She was angry and hurting and lost.

And as he looked down at her and realized everything that he should have realized immediately, he knew that he could never touch her that way. He would be taking advantage of her just like everyone else had and he couldn't do that.

He owed her and needed to help put her back together again, not help to break her apart. Right now she was fragile and could easily travel down the wide open path of Destruction. Merlin knows that was exactly what he was doing and had been doing since he escaped from Ahzkaban. He knew he was beyond saving, but he didn't want her to become like him—using sex to escape from life (although that wasn't much of an escape nowadays), using alcohol to do the same, staying far too long inside his own head.

He sighed and for the moment his feelings of lust disappeared and all he felt was true caring for her. He quickly enveloped her in a tight hug, purely platonic and rested his chin on the top of her head.

She was shocked and had no idea what he was doing. What was he doing? Her body tensed as she tried to anticipate his next move.

"I just want a hug, that's all," he said in a low voice. He wanted to show her that people could touch each her without wanting to take. Sometimes they just wanted to give.

Why would he just want to hug me? she wondered, but she relaxed a fraction and let him hold her. He was warm and comfortable and—she grinned inwardly—he reminded her of the hugs she used to get from her dad. He was being almost fatherly tonight, she thought, but she was sure that he wouldn't want her to say so. She felt a surge of emotion towards him at the moment, probably because he was being nice to her.

Tears pricked her eyes and she almost let out a gasp. As soon as she registered the feeling however it was gone. But she knew that she hadn't imagined it.

She had felt the barest beginnings of tears. That part of her was supposed to be magically shut down right now. Why had she felt tears? She hadn't given herself over to true love yet.

Maybe the rush of emotions she had felt before had weakened the spell for a moment allowing her to feel _more_.

She couldn't dwell on that right because a throat cleared from in front of the door and they broke away and turned. It was Draco, she recognized with embarrassment. Merlin only knows what he was thinking about her right now. His face was neutral, but she could see anger brimming under the surface, and he held his left arm out at an odd angle, as if it hurt him or something.

"Professor Snape sent me a message just now saying that he'll be able to come get Shacklebolt tomorrow. Would anyone care to explain to me why one of the Dark Lord's most trusted followers is helping you two?"

Whoops.

They had forgotten to tell Draco about Snape's true allegiances. Hermione shifted and looked up at Sirius.

"Well, Draco, you see. It's like this…," she started.

**A/N- Okay, so Snape has contacted Draco but in all the excitement they had forgotten to tell Draco about him. Well, no time like the present. ******** Anyway, brace yourselves because as of right now Hermione is not finished with Kingsley yet. I won't spoil too much before the next chapter.**

**I'm not sure whether or not I should bring Andromeda into the house or not. It might make for more backstories than I want to handle right now—but it would make sense if Voldie wants to Imperius her and Sirius into marriage, or kill off Narcissa and Draco and force her to marry Lucius. I'm not sure if she would leave her family just to save herself. Maybe I'll just get her some protection and stick her in a safe house somewhere.**

**But, the sisters could reconcile… I'm a sucker for reconciliations.**


	20. A King's Demise

**Disclaimer- I own nothing.**

**A/N- I can't believe how long it took to force this chapter out of me. It's not even that long. I had absolutely zero motivation to update. My creative juices are iced over. But, some things about this chapter I did like. I'm taking a new turn with Sirius to get the ball rolling and a mini confrontation between the Malfoy's and the girls. And for all you Snape lovers, I probably did not do him justice in this chapter but I promise I will later. It was all I could do to shat this one out.**

**Oh by the way, a reviewer caught a mistake I made in the last chapter. I said that it was Hermione's first time using an Unforgiveable but it wasn't. She had used it against Sirius a few chapters back. I think that was it but I'm not sure. There might be more mistakes in this chapter. Feel free to call me on them.**

Voldemort sat on his throne-like chair located in the front of the room, and gazed out the mass of his assembled followers with something akin to loathing. They were all so weak and disgusting to him. He wondered briefly it would be at all possible to conquer the wizarding world by himself, without having to deal with this pile of weak putrescent filth.

Probably not, he conceded, the admission leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

The last forty-eight hours or so had been a virtual blood bath in Malfoy Manor. The loss of most of his slaves (and hostages), along with the death of Goyle, the escape of the two Malfoy traitors, _and_ the cleverly laid trap that had been waiting for him at the hovel those blood traitors called a home, had roused his fury like nothing else ever had.

That mudblood bitch had made him out to be a fool in front of his followers and that was something that she would pay for with every ounce of life that she had in that wretched body. After he won this war, he would stretch out her punishment for a lifetime. He had even briefly toyed with the idea of forcing her to make a horcrux just so he could kill her over and over again.

But, that was not realistic, he admitted to himself somewhat forlornly. He would just have to be extremely creative when he got his hands on her. And keep her alive for as long as possible.

He knew that Goyle had been killed by that blonde girl he had been so fond of. Apparently he had removed her gauntlets and she had taken the opportunity that had risen. It was smart and stupid in the same breath because now, if he ever saw her again, her fate would be much worse than anything she had endured here.

He had punished many of his followers over the few days and killed even more of the newer ones. Avery, of course, had been punished for not seeing through her rouse while he was torturing the information out of her, Bellatrix because she had been in charge of the mission to observe the house before the attack (he could not rule out the possibility that she had somehow alerted the Order to her presence), Dolohov for allowing himself to be stunned and for getting on his last nerve, Lucius… oh, just the thought of what he had done to Lucius sent shivers down his spine. He was _still _being punished for his family's betrayal. Just thinking his name made his hands clench in anger.

Besides his followers, he had massacred every muggle family within a hundred mile radius. It had helped to satiate his rage and the Daily Prophet had blamed the slayings on freak accidents of nature and terrorists attacks. He curled his upper lip in disdain. It would only be a matter of days now until the Ministry was in his hands as well as everything else in England, Ireland, and Scotland. He even had holds in other countries as well, but those were tenuous at best. He needed more power behind him before he moved on to the mainland.

Presently, he continued gazing out into his self-appointed audience hall at all his white-faced followers. He could practically smell their fear. He had called this meeting to assign several missions to his followers and redouble their efforts to acquire the Ministry. Potter and the mudblood could wait until after that. Once the highest level of government was in his grasp, there would be nowhere for them to hide, nowhere to run.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak however, a flash of light and a loud thud crashed down in the middle of the hall, echoing around the room and causing several to shriek and gasp.

Then silence, as the light and smoke cleared to reveal a large body, lying in an unmoving heap.

Voldemort was in shock. What the-? He stood up immediately, wand drawn, and walked over to the body cautiously. He recognized the person at once, seeing the dark skin that had not yet turned pale, and the eyes that still stared wide open.

The beginnings of realization dawned on him and he looked curiously down at the dead man's chest to the piece of parchment that was pinned securely to the actual skin of the man. It was a letter, he recognized in amazement. To _him_.

His red eyes scanned the contents of the parchment as he returned to his seat. After he finished the letter it was crumpled up in a fist. He began to chuckle quietly, and his followers looked around at each other in shock and fear. The chuckles grew louder into full blown laughs, and the men and women gathered in the room cringed at the insane sound. It sent shivers down their spines and they couldn't tell if he was genuinely amused or horrifically enraged. He had been known to laugh before killing someone before and no one wanted to be in the room if he decided to decimate them all.

He stopped abruptly and glanced down at the crumpled parchment in his hand once more. It was quite possible that _she_ would do some of the dirty work for him. She had already helped him so much already. The Order was weakening. He sat back much more contented than he had been in days. Yes, this _was_ an interesting development.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Siruis sat on the edge of his bed, with his head between his hands and let out a long-suffering sigh. It seemed that every where he turned he was being confined to a house of some sort. The boredom had already begun, broken only by the few glimpses of Hermione's face that he had seen between last night's rather frustrating interruption by the Malfoy boy and now.

It was a horrible place to be in, wanting to do something so badly and yet knowing that you shouldn't at all costs. Resisting had never been his strong point.

He wondered when Snivellus was going to arrive to take that bastard in the basement off his hands. He felt briefly bad about calling him that old childhood name, but figured, what the hell? It wasn't as if he had said it aloud. They had come to some sort of uneasy truce it seemed, but Sirius could never bring himself to fully trust the man. Old habits die hard.

Draco was posted at the window as a lookout. Snape wouldn't be able to see the house when he arrived, only the approximate location of the caves Draco had told him about so Sirius would have to go out and meet him. He knew he was hard up for excitement when he was looking forward to a visit from his childhood enemy.

At least he would be attending an Order meeting tomorrow. He would have to work out some form of communication for contacting him about future meetings and information when he got there. And, he thought grimly, he would be asking Harry and Ron to come here before beginning their journey. He wondered how that would go once they found out his part in all this.

Not good, he guessed, standing up and striding to his door. He flung it open and walked down the stairs into the parlor where Draco was staring out the window.

"Anything yet?"

Draco shook his head and refrained from making a smart comment. If there had been any sign of Snape he probably would have mentioned it when he heard Black coming. He heard Sirius sigh and leave the room and went back to focusing on the outside of the house. There was no way he could survive being caged up in this house for much longer.

Potter better hurry up and do whatever it is that he's supposed to do so that he could go home and be normal again, he thought selfishly.

It was misty outside which was making it really hard to see if there was any black hooded man wandering around looking for an invisible house. He hoped that Snape wouldn't get lost and give up without seeing him first. He had so many questions that he needed answers to.

xxxxx

Hermione sat in the kitchen sipping her hot chocolate and waiting with trepidation for the fallout when her handiwork was discovered. Nobody had gone down to the basement yet which she was grateful for. It gave her time to steel her resolve against the tongue lashing Sirius was sure to give her.

Well, he could talk all he wants, she thought. She wouldn't hesitate to shut him up if he overstepped his bounds. She had backed down before but he was an imbecile if he thought she wouldn't try to get revenge again.

Katie walked through the doors to the kitchen and smiled at her before going to the refrigerator to get a drink. She grabbed something and sat down across from Hermione, neither speaking, and just sipped her drink quietly.

"Merlin, it's nice not to be around a bunch of girls all day," Katie finally said, "The chattering all the time was beginning to drive me insane."

They both chuckled and then fell back into silence.

It was suddenly broken by a loud roar coming from the basement.

"_What_ in the _name_ of Merlin?" was followed by very loud angry thuds signifying footsteps on the stairs.

Hermione looked at Katie.

"You did something to him didn't you?" she asked without anger.

Hermione nodded. "I killed him." It was said very calmly. Just a statement of fact.

"If Sirius bothers you about it, don't worry, I'll back you up," she assured, which surprisingly made Hermione feel better. She wasn't afraid of Sirius or anything, it was just nice to have the emotional support.

The doors crashed open and Sirius stalked in, his eyes dark with anger. "Hermione--."

Just seeing him like this, brimming with moral self-righteous indignation, made her furious and she used a silencing charm on him to shut him up before he could even begin. "What I did to Kingsley is none of your business, Sirius. You are not my father, brother, or even friend. Don't lecture me on morality. It's not as if you've never killed anyone," she retorted sarcastically, letting the charm up.

He was still angry. "In the first war, yes, but I've never killed anybody in cold blood, not even Peter Pettigrew, Hermione. And I assure you that the murders of my closest friends as well as twelve years in Ahzkaban surrounded by Dementors just as bad if not worse than what you went through."

That was the wrong thing to say to both girls. Even if it were true, which it wasn't, it was horribly callous.

Both Katie and Hermione bolted up from their seats wands drawn and seething in fury. Hermione sent him crashing back through the doors and into the parlor where Draco was watching for Snape.

"What in the-?" Draco yelped, leaping up from his seat by the window, wand drawn. He kept it at the ready as he surveyed the furious people in front of him.

Sirius was on the floor glowering at Hermione who towered over him, red faced and wand drawn. He kicked out a foot which sent the thin piece of wood flying into a corner and stood up. She practically bared her teeth at him and waved her hand, sending him flying backwards again.

"Well, this _is _war, Sirius," she sneered, advancing upon him, "And though you seem to have conveniently forgotten, _I _still remember my ribs and arm snapping from when I wounded your pride at the manor. Remember the Cruciatus? The blood pouring from my nose?"

He reddened slightly which told her that he did indeed remember and he got up off the floor. "That was horribly wrong of me, Hermione and I've already begged your forgiveness for hurting you." He warily tensed and readied himself for another blow, but none came yet.

"Well, you won't get it," she spat, clenching a fist. "Killing Kingsley was doing the world a favor and he deserved everything he got."

"What did you do with him? All that's left in the basement is his blood," he told her quietly. Both were oblivious to the other people who were watching the exchange.

She jerked her head carelessly. She squashed down whatever fleeting moment of guilt she harbored over the act and answered him. "After I killed him, I sent his body to Malfoy Manor, to Voldemort. He can do with it what he will. Hang it from the Ministry for all I care. Kingsley deserved it."

Everyone gaped at her in shock, anger, and amazement. "How the hell did you send his body to my house?" Draco asked.

Her face went blank and she raised her chin. "I used something that resembles a portkey, but is different. It is sort of the early version of a portkey in that it sends only non-living objects through space, organic and inorganic. I figured that though it still might be possible to portkey _out _of the manor, it would be impossible to use a portkey to send anything _into_ the manor. But, it improbable that Voldemort would have wards up preventing the access non-living things from entering house. I don't think it would occur to him since not much can hurt him. Besides, it is an antiquated spell that most people nowadays don't even know exists."

Everyone just stared at her in silence.

"I don't get it," Draco said finally, "What was the purpose of killing off Kingsley and sending him to the Dark Lord? What would he want with a dead body?"

Sirius spoke of before she could answer. "Isn't it obvious?" he said with a faint sneer, "She wants his memory desecrated and knows that Voldemort will parade Kingsley's body in front of everyone."

Hermione snapped her gaze to him and narrowed her eyes. "You are the only person here who cares that that asshole is dead. Maybe you weren't as coerced into betrayal as you'd like us to believe."

He angrily pursed his lips at her accusation. "Fine," he yelled, "Whatever. You killed him. It's on your conscience now. Do whatever you want." He'd had about enough of this shit.

She sneered at him in disgust. "I will, thank you," she responded sarcastically, turning to leave.

His voice stopped her in her tracks. "For your information, I'm not angry that he's dead. I just never wanted you to commit murder. You were too good a person for that."

She didn't even glance back as she took another step toward the door. Just then she heard a loud hiss of pain and spun around to see what was wrong. Draco was clutching his left arm and his face was scrunched up. Narcissa, who had been unobtrusively standing in the doorway the whole time, hurried over to her son and lifted up his sleeve.

"Is it _him_?" she asked, worriedly.

He shook his head. "No, but he's been calling me for over two days now," he said softly, looking over at her, "No, this is Snape. He says that they received the _present_ we sent," his mouth twisted wryly and he glanced at Hermione, "but he's still coming anyway. He'll be here within the hour."

The time passed quickly with Sirius and Hermione retreating to opposite corners. She refused to speak to him and he was too angry to approach her without wanting to strangle her. He really didn't give a shit that Kingsley was dead. He had meant that, but he just didn't want her to lose herself in this war.

He was trying to be fucking noble, damn it, he thought angrily. Was it really worth it? Kingsley _did_ deserve to die and it wasn't like he was her father or even her friend as she had so eloquently told him earlier. He was old enough to be her father though, he thought sullenly, tossing a piece of lint off his shirt and onto the floor. And he had no wish to be just her friend. He wanted so much more.

His grand idea of leaving her be due to her age and traumatic experiences was proving to be difficult. It was as if his body craved her. Ever since the night he had seen her with Remus some mad desire had struck him and he felt he had to have her. Even when she was infuriating him it didn't quench his lust for her.

That was the sad thing about it. He couldn't even claim to have honorable intentions toward her. He felt love for her, as a friend of his godsons and the person who had freed him from the hell of the veil, but mostly it was just plain cold hard lust. And he had been wrestling with it daily for months now. Did he even want to be nice anymore? Was that getting him anywhere with her? If anything, she was just using him as a door mat to wipe the shit off her shoes. Civility would be nice.

He knew that he deserved everything she gave him, but knowing and accepting are two different things. He could 'know' it all he wanted but it didn't change the fact that he absolutely could not take anymore of her shit. He had been patient for weeks, hoping she would start to feel even a smidgen of forgiveness for him, but no—nothing, but derision and scorn.

It was time she faced the fact that he did what he did and there was no going back. She could hate him all she wanted but it wouldn't change anything. He committed his crimes and now he would deal with it. Starting now things were going to change between the two of them.

He looked over at the subject of his thoughts and felt a weight lift off from his shoulders. A sort of relaxation.

"He's here," Draco announced interrupting his thoughts and causing his head to jerk up.

Sirius stood quickly and grabbed his cloak from beside the door. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious," he told everyone. "I'll be back in a minute."

Hermione watched him leave the house, shutting the door behind him and her lips thinned. She was still furious at him for their fight earlier. She was angry all the time nowadays and she wanted nothing more that to use him as her personal punching bag. Him more than anyone else. She almost wanted to be around him all the time just to taunt him and release her anger because he took it. He felt so guilty all the time that she could say whatever she wanted and he wouldn't do anything about it.

Good, he should feel guilty, she thought contemptuously. Whatever she dished to him would never be enough of what he deserved. Sometimes she really hated him with all of her heart.

And other times she didn't.

The door opened again to reveal the black form of Severus Snape and Sirius Black. There was something different in his eyes, she realized watching Sirius enter the room almost regally. He had always had careless arrogant bearing before but now he seemed even less tense. He did cut quite a figure striding into the room and walking across the room, grabbing a chair so that Snape could sit.

Sirius sat down on the couch and slung an arm over the back of it, catching her eye in the process. Their gazes locked for a moment and her stomach gave an odd little flip. Something in his eyes seemed to be almost challenging her. Challenging her to what? She broke eye contact, looking instead to Snape who was removing his cloak and sitting down.

"Well, I am going to get to the point," he began in his silky low voice. He looked at a couple first but rested his gaze on Hermione for far longer. "What happened to Shacklebolt?" He went on without waiting for an answer. "Imagine my surprise when this morning a dead body dropped out of thin air into the middle of the Dark Lord's audience hall with a note pinned to it. I was even further surprised to see that it was the very man that I was supposed to be coming here to pick up."

He looked specifically at Hermione who raised her chin, prepared to fend off any attacks against what she did. "Kept alive, he would have only escaped—prison and justice. He betrayed me and the Order and for that he deserved to die. I am not ashamed of anything I did."

Her confession didn't seem to faze Snape. He merely shrugged a shoulder and sighed. "Well, I guess it's more convenient this way."

Hermione was surprised at his response. "You don't care?"

His black eyes glittered at her. "Why should I care? He was in the position to do a great deal of harm to the entire wizarding community by choosing to twist the war to serve his own purposes, whatever those may be."

"He wanted me and Ron out the way so that Harry could be more easily controlled."

Snape snorted. "He doesn't know that boy very well, then."

Hermione cracked a smile. "He didn't. Harry would rather be alone anyway. If we were to die or be separated from him he would just continue his quest without us. He would miss us horribly of course," she added, "but I think it would only serve to fuel his fire. Kingsley would have accomplished nothing."

"Alright!" Draco shouted sitting upright in his chair, "Enough of this chit chat bullshit." He glared at Snape who looked calmly back at him. "What the hell? You were a traitor the whole time?"

"Mr. Malfoy, I know this has come as a shock to you, but I will answer any questions you may have in due time. I need to get some things sorted before you scream at me." Snape turned his face toward Sirius. "The Dark Lord has been on a rampage for the last two days. I think it wise that nobody leave the house."

"I have to go," Katie interrupted, "Sirius said he would help me get to my family in Romania."

"That is not wise, Miss Bell. The Dark Lord knows it was you who killed Goyle and if he finds you," he paused, "let's just say that you will be begging to die after he's done."

Katie set her face mutinously. "I won't put anyone in danger, but I'm leaving. I've had enough of everything here. I want my family and with or without help I will get to them. I'll fly across the channel if I have to."

She probably could too, Hermione mused, remembering that Katie was an ex-Quidditch player. "What about the rest of us?"

"What about my father?" Draco interrupted, clenching the arms of the chair he was sitting in.

Snape turned to look at him and his expression belied his words. "You knew that your father would be punished severely for your and your mother's escape. That could not have been prevented, however he is still alive."

Narcissa put a hand to her face while Draco's twisted in guilt and pain. Katie and Hermione looked at each other disgust.

"Is he going to be killed?" Narcissa whispered to Snape, tears threatening to spill.

Snape looked as if he had something that he wanted to say but didn't. Instead he shook his head. "Not in the immediate future, no. He still has some usefulness for the Dark Lord and there are bounties on both your heads. He doesn't want to kill off the family line yet."

"Can't you get him out of there? He thinks you're his friend," Draco accused, his face flushing into a dark pink color.

Before he could answer, Katie jerked her head over to Draco and clenched her fists. "What the fuck is wrong with you people? Let me tell you something about your precious father," she seethed, "He deserves everything Voldemort gave him and more. He's a cruel sadistic bastard and I hope he dies a long painful death."

"Katie--," Hermione began quietly, putting a hand on her arm, but it was jerked away.

"No, Hermione I don't give a shit if it's his family or not. How can you people still love him? Still want to be near him? If you knew what he's done--,"

Hermione cut her off, twisting her lips into a dark half-smile. "Draco already knows most of it."

Katie face turned incredulous. She looked over at him. "You already know what he's like and you still care about him? You make me sick. You shouldn't even be here."

"He's my father," he shouted, tensing to stand but his mother held him back.

"Sit down," she ordered, through her handkerchief. Her blue eyes turned to the other two girls. "Do not presume to understand our thoughts or feelings on this matter. Lucius is our family not yours and no matter what he's done we would never wish his death."

A sudden vindictive need to stamp the woman's self-righteous airs into the mud overtook Hermione. "Really? I wonder," she said, raising a finger to her chin as if in thought. Draco saw her and narrowed his eyes.

"Hermione, don't even think about it," he warned gripping his wand. He would magically shut her up if need be. He had a terrible feeling that he knew exactly what she was about to tell his mother.

"What Draco?" she asked mockingly, "I really don't think that there is anything I could say as to his treatment of me that would change her feelings on the matter."

He only slightly relaxed his posture. She continued, "But, I think there's something about his treatment of her that she would like to know. It seems everyone else does. Voldemort even knows," she added in disgust.

Draco leveled his wand at her from across the room and stared at her with deadly calm. She looked right back at him.

Narcissa however straightened her posture and looked coldly at the girl who been sleeping with her husband very publicly, against her will or not. It was not in her nature to let someone attack her family or reputation as so it was, along with a desire to know what it was the girl was talking about, the reason that she held up an abrupt hand.

"Draco, let her tell me."

He began immediately protesting but quieted down at the hard look in Narcissa's eye. "If she wants to tell me so badly let her."

Hermione raised a hand to her temple already tired from all this fighting already in the morning. "Nevermind. What does it matter anyway? You'll just brush it off and stay pathetically by his side."

Narcissa gave a hard laugh. "No, please tell me. If it affects me as you say, don't you think I have a right to know?" Her voice took on a baiting quality to it and Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, I'll tell you. If it were me I would be furious that my husband was using Polyjuice potion to seek solace in the comfort of his absent 'wife's' arms." She used her fingers to stress the word 'wife'. Her meaning was lost on nobody.

Narcissa paled at her admission but said nothing. She stood up stiffly. "Thank you for that enlightening piece of information. But, I guess it's a good thing you're not me, isn't it?"

That was the one thing Hermione could absolutely agree with a Malfoy on. She emphatically nodded her head. "Yes, it is."

Narcissa sniffed and glided out of the room followed by a glaring Draco. Everyone else looked uncomfortable around at each other, the silence pressing down upon them.

"Well," Snape said, "I should leave now. I just came by to inform you that you are all in great danger, especially you Miss Granger. I have never seen him so livid in all my years of knowing him. He swept through entire towns venting his rage for you. I suggest that you do not try any heroics and go off on your own. Or with _Potter_," he added, his tone taking on its natural disdainful inflection when talking about anything to do with Harry.

She blocked her mind off form the images of innocent people being killed because of her actions and instead nodded politely at Snape who stood.

"I'm not sure if it is a good idea for me to make frequent visits but, I will come again as soon as it's safe. I'll send word first."

Sirius nodded and Hermione stood up. They followed him over to the door. He turned back with one last piece of advice before leaving.

"If any of you wishes to leave the country, now is the time to do it. I know what I said before," he added impatiently holding up a hand to stem her protests, "and I still stick by what I said, but just so you know, it is just a matter of days before Voldemort will be in the position to take over the Ministry. When that happens travel will be greatly restricted and he will have unlimited resources at his disposal. All of them will be directed at Potter, Weasley and yourself, Miss Granger."

They all looked at each other and then back at Snape.

"Good luck," he added and opened the door. Sirius stayed back this time and Snape walked down the hill toward the caves, eventually disappearing out of sight.

Hermione knew one thing. She wasn't leaving. A final showdown between Harry and Voldemort was coming soon and when it happened she would be standing by her best friend's side. A look over at Sirius told her he was thinking the same thing. They stared grimly at each other before closing the door and retreating to each person's form of refuge. In Hermione's case it was the library.

**Well, sorry but that's it. The next chapter will possibly have the boys in it but I'm not sure yet. It all depends. Sometime later I will tell you what was in the letter that she wrote to Voldie. Katie's leaving soon by the way, within a chapter or two. Just thought somebody out there might need a forewarning in case they love her. She'll be at the end though so don't worry.**

**I babbling. I'll go now. Its midnight.**


	21. A Surprise Appearence

"Harry, wait a minute will you?" Sirius asked, stepping away from the others that were leaving through the front door and motioning him over.

Harry was curious and followed his godfather into the next room and shut the door. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Hermione wants to see you and Ron and I told her I would talk to you about it. What do you say?"

Harry grinned. "Of course, we will come." He paused. "But can you tell her that we have to wait until after the wedding? We promised Mrs. Weasely that we would be there."

Sirius nodded and reached out ruffle his hair affectionately. "She's missed you guys a lot. Maybe you could travel with Charlie when he comes."

"Charlie? Why does _Charlie_ want to see her?" Harry was puzzled. The trio wasn't as close with the three older Weasely boys even though they were all in the Order except one—Percy. He still hadn't seen the light.

"Charlie's not coming to see Hermione," Sirius explained, "He's coming to take Katie Bell to her family in Romania. They went into hiding when the girls escaped and he was the one to help them. He knows people there who are loyal to our cause. After all, Voldemort's not going to stop with just Great Britain. He won't be satisfied until he's destroyed us all," he murmured distantly, frowning into his glass of firewhiskey.

Harry's eyes hardened. "Not if I can help it," he said firmly. "I can't tell you specifics, but I will say that Dumbledore found a way to kill him for good. And he told me before he died. That's what me and Ron are setting out to do after the wedding."

Sirius' eyes grew pained. "I wish I could go with you. You are just a boy."

Harry shrugged and shifted his weight, looking down at the floor. "I know. But, it's got to be this way. I wish you could come too."

"I understand," Sirius responded with false bravado. He didn't understand, but he didn't want to leave Harry feeling bad or filled with fear and doubt. "There's something else you should know. You can tell Ron if you want—in fact," he said pausing, "it might be better if you do. Draco and Narcissa Malfoy are living at the house as well."

Harry was speechless with shock. He just stared dumbly at Sirius waiting for the punch line to this really bad joke.

Sirius continued, taking advantage of the momentary silence. "Voldemort was going to kill them for trying to switch sides and Hermione wouldn't leave without trying to save them."

Harry found his voice again. "But why? I don't get it. I thought you said that they were the ones who hurt her. That Voldemort gave her to them like she was some sort of animal," he spat, his face flushing red with anger. "Why would you hide them?"

How much should he tell him? Not much, Sirius figured. He didn't know what Hermione wanted them to know and what she didn't. The Order hadn't asked for many specifics concerning what happened to the girls for the very reason that they already somewhat knew. He was glad for that at least. There was a multitude of details that would take hours to go through.

He had seen Remus and Tonks earlier but things were strained between the two men. He could tell by the way Tonks looked at him, or didn't look at him, that Remus had told her everything. Remus looked worse than usual and she was quieter than she had been in her entire life, he guessed.

It saddened him to an extent but part of him was relieved. Neither wanted to talk about what they had done all those months ago, least of all him. But, he wasn't going to run from the truth when it came out either. He wasn't a coward.

He looked back down at Harry who was still waiting for answer and he sighed and cleared his throat. "Harry, it was mainly Lucius who treated her badly. Narcissa was absent from the mansion until her imprisonment and Draco hardly ever spoke to her." He left out the details of Draco's 'reward'.

"She even told me that he helped her once in the beginning. I don't know everything but you can ask her when you see her in a few days. Just make sure that you and Ron don't blow up my house, okay?" he asked only half-joking.

Harry was shaking his head. Nothing made sense anymore. Draco and his mother were now under their protection? They were going to betray their precious Dark Lord? Unbelievable. It must be some sort of trick, he thought, glaring at the floor. Hermione was too trusting. She didn't see things that were right in front of her face sometimes. Hadn't he tried to tell her all last year that Draco was up to something? She wouldn't listen to him and now Dumbledore was dead.

He didn't blame her of course, but still, after Snape betrayed them all like that he would have thought that she would be a little wiser to Voldemort's schemes. He was sure that Draco was a spy. After all, what's a little espionage when you already have murder under your belt?

"Tell her we'll be there directly after the wedding. And Sirius," he added, pausing and looking at the older man, "keep your eyes open. I don't trust Draco… or his mother."

Sirius said nothing but thought privately that it wasn't Draco he should be wary of. Harry was going to be shocked when he saw Hermione again. She was a completely different girl than the one he knew from school.

He took a rather large gulp of his whiskey and set his glass down, preparing to leave.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sirius, I want to go to the wedding."

He looked blankly at Hermione. "You can't," he reminded her slowly, "you're being hunted by Deatheaters as we speak. You'll jeopardize more lives than just your own if you're caught."

She rolled her eyes and grimaced. "I'm not going to get caught, Sirius. Of course I'll be in disguise. You can alter my appearance so that no one but the Order will know who I am."

Why hadn't he seen something like this coming? It was frustrating having to constantly keep someone under control who was as stubborn as Hermione. He wondered with a small smile if this was the way Dumbledore had felt while confining him to the house during Harry's fifth year.

"No," he said firmly, "You're safe here. Why would you want to put yourself at risk? I spoke to Harry and he's coming here right after the wedding. Charlie's coming as well," he added.

Hermione's tolerance for people telling her what to do was very low nowadays. She was almost seventeen and not a prisoner anymore. He couldn't keep her here against her will. "Whether you help me or not, I'm going," she told him turning on her heel and walking out of the room. She started up the stairs to throw a few things together in a small bag.

Sirius bolted out of his chair and followed her. "Hermione, please listen to reason."

"No you listen," she said gritting her teeth and rounding on him, "everything will be fine. Nobody will be able to recognize me. Harry is even more wanted than I am and _he'll_ be there. It's no more dangerous than what anyone else is putting up with."

But, you're different, he wanted to say, but didn't. Instead, he followed her to her room on the third floor just down the hall from his. Draco poked his head out as they passed by the second floor but didn't follow.

"I want to see everyone again. I need to," she added, to herself, tossing some clothes from the dresser into a bag. They were clothes that Sirius had transfigured from various rags around the house. They were decent but she was hoping that maybe Ginny would have something better to wear when… wait.

"Where are the Weasely's living? Are they still at the Burrow?" she asked Sirius, suddenly turning to face him. He was standing in the doorway tensed and scowling.

He nodded. "There's no place for them to go really. Besides, after the trap Voldemort fell into he won't be sending his people there again anytime soon."

"What about Andromeda? Did you talk to Tonk's about her?"

He hesitated briefly. "I haven't really spoken to her lately… or Remus." He watched her face for a reaction to the name. She hadn't talked about Remus since she was given to him at the manor. Her face contorted briefly with some emotion that he wasn't sure of and then settled into passive blank lines.

"Well, did you try Arthur instead?" She carefully put a pair of extra shoes in the bag, taking care not to get her clothes dirty. She straightened up and zipped it shut.

"Yeah, I told Arthur and Molly that Voldemort wants her and they said they would go over there sometime before the wedding and try and persuade her to leave. She stubborn though, as are all the Blacks," he added smiling at her.

She snorted. "That's for sure," she muttered, brushing past him to leave. He grabbed her arm to stop her and her body brushed up against his.

"What are you doing? Let go of me," she protested, trying to yank her arm out of grip.

"Not until you listen to what I have to say," he said quietly, leaning his face in closer to hers. "This is a mistake. I know you hate me, but no matter what you think I did to you, I did save you. You should trust me when I say that leaving this house is a bad idea. Voldemort is extremely close to taking over the Ministry."

"Oh and that's going happen in the next two days?" she shot out weakly, her eyes being drawn to his lips. "You being ridiculous."

"Maybe," he agreed, drawing closer to her, "But it's better to be ridiculous than dead."

Their faces were inches apart and she mentally kicked herself, drawing away from and yanking her arm out of his grasp. "I will be neither."

She walked down the stairs and into the bathroom to gather her toiletries.

"You don't know that," he argued, "You're not a seer."

He was beginning to frustrate her. How many times did she have to say something? "I know that, Sirius. But, your worries are unfounded. They are in just as much danger being around Harry all the time. He's a way bigger threat to Voldemort than I am. If it was a choice between killing him or me, who do you think he would choose?" she asked, slight sarcasm coloring her tone.

Sirius mentally counted to ten before speaking. "There won't be a choice, Hermione. If it comes down to it, he'll kill you both."

"Nice to see you place so much faith in Harry." She started down the stairs, Draco and Narcissa following silently in their wake. She had an old traveling robe tucked under her arm.

He let her comment go and stomped down the stairs after her.

"I'm not stupid, Sirius. I'm not going to go looking for Deatheaters to kill, but I'm not going to sit around cowering in a musty old house while my friends need me either." Her face was set firmly in determination. "If my family were alive still it would be a different story but they're not. They're dead."

"You still have your friends," he argued.

"Exactly. No offense to Harry or Ron, but they're not exactly magical whizzes, if you know what I mean. If I were the Chosen One I would have been studying every spell I could get my hands on, but all he seems to think about in school is Quidditch… and girls. How does he expect to defeat Voldemort if he starves to death first, or gets caught because he can't set up proper wards?" She shook her head. That had always bothered her. He had never took the time to focus and learn spells that could come in handy in the future.

"He doesn't know _any_ disguise spells, can barely transfigure, doesn't know history, how to put up wards…," she stopped having run out of breath. Not for long. "And to top it all off, he's got a direct connection into Voldemort's mind and absolutely no occlumency skills."

Sirius had paled considerably during her tirade and she felt her composure slipping. Her voice almost cracked. "Do you understand now? All he's got to go on is a task set forth by Dumbledore, a way to kill Voldemort, but no knowledge of how to actually do it. The Headmaster didn't think that bit of information was pertinent it seems. Sirius, it could take years," she said quietly but vehemently.

They all looked crushed and defeated… afraid.

"I thought you just wanted to go to the wedding, Hermione," Sirius said in a low voice, "Are you also planning on accompanying them afterwards?"

She looked at him tiredly. "I don't know. I don't know if they will actually let me. They are very over protective," she said, scowling.

"What's the point?" Draco asked suddenly and all eyes turned to him. "From what you're saying there's hardly a chance of Potter even succeeding. It sounds like a suicide mission to me. If the Dark Lord is practically impossible to kill… what's the point?"

Hermione knew how he felt but she was firm in her belief that every sacrifice was worth it in the end if they succeeded. And if they didn't… she wouldn't think about that.

"Draco, I can't tell you much about it, but I can say that the… process… to kill him has already been underway for awhile now. Harry and Dumbledore had already managed quite a bit before he was killed."

Draco paled and looked down at the floor and Hermione cleared her throat. "Sorry, I forgot about… you know," she offered lamely.

"Anyway, don't give up hope, Draco," she said firmly, "Hope is what will win this war for us, because as long as there are witches and wizards who don't buy into all his hypocritical crap, there will always be someone fighting him. He _will _be killed," she told him, giving him a small smile, "it's just a matter of when."

"Hermione," Sirius interrupted, drawing her irritation back to him, "I'm coming with you. If you're so pigheaded that you'll do this no matter what I say, then you'll have to take me along."

She made a face. "No."

He crossed his arms and plastered a smug expression on his face. "How do you propose getting there then? Have you forgotten about the trace?"

Damn him. She had forgotten. She had been using magic for so long at the manor and around this place that she forgot that Voldemort could still track her by magic. Inside the house the trace didn't work because of all the powerful and complex protective charms and wards. It was also Unplottable.

"I'll take the Knight bus. Harry did it in third year," she said finally, not really sure if that was even feasible.

Sirius shook his head. "I wouldn't suggest riding anywhere with Stan Shunpike. Now while he's under the Imperius curse anyways. Try again," he smirked.

Every idea she had seemed stupid and unrealistic. She couldn't drive yet because she was supposed to take her test over the summer when she went home. That'll never happen, she thought bitterly. Walking was a bad idea as was hitch-hiking.

"You'll need me to get back here anyway."

"Fine," she snapped, throwing her bags on the floor in a fit of temper, "you can take me, but I warn you, Sirius, do not provoke me."

"I promise," he swore in mock solemnity. "We have to go outside to apparate."

"Wait a minute," Draco protested, "you're just going to leave us here? What if something happens?"

"You're a wizard and a Deatheater," she told him opening the door and stepping out, "Figure it out. We'll be back tomorrow night."

Sirius gave the two of them a wide grin behind Hermione's back but was only met by scowls as he backed out of the house and followed her out of range of the wards. He held out a hand which she grudgingly took and felt the horrible sensation that always made her want to vomit. When she opened her eyes, they were standing a ways outside the Burrow.

Her stomach dropped right then and she realized she was more nervous than she had been in a long time. She almost didn't want to go in there now. What if everyone treated her differently? What if Remus was in there? Did everyone know what had happened?

Sirius placed a firm hand on her shoulder effectively jerking her out of her panic attack. "You'll be fine, Hermione. They have all missed you so much." He bent down to whisper in her ear. "I didn't tell them about Kingsley. They think he's on the run somewhere in Eastern Europe."

That made her feel a tad better, but only because she didn't want to have any in depth conversations about what was right and wrong. She collected herself and tilted her chin the air and followed Sirius to the front door of the house.

He rapped on the door and then let himself in, calling loudly throughout the house.

"Hello?"

No one answered but they heard voices in the backyard. Everything was just as she remembered it. Maybe a little cleaner, but she figured that Molly must have been going insane what with Fleur's family staying over through the wedding.

She quickly moved through the house to the back door where Sirius was already holding it open for her. She could see people outside, all the Weasely's, the Delacour's, the Lupin's she noted as her heart sank and she refused to make eye contact, and last of all, Harry Potter.

They all looked up in surprise as they saw Sirius striding over to them.

"Sirius, has something happened? What's wrong?" Mrs. Weasely demanded rushing toward them. She hadn't seen Hermione yet, as she was being cowardly and hiding behind his tall frame.

Sirius laughed. "Nothings wrong. I brought a surprise for you." He stepped aside to reveal Hermione, standing there awkwardly.

Though Mrs. Weasely was closest, Hermione only had eyes for her two best friends who immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at her in shock.

Mrs. Weasely gasped and placed a hand on her heart, covering her mouth with her hand and tearing up.

She had no idea what the others reactions were because she was so focused on Harry and Ron who had started walking forward slowly. Ron was red in the face and Harry looked dumbfounded.

"Hermione," he said at last, "is that you?"

She smiled and nodded. Both boys whooped loudly scaring the daylights out of everyone and ran over to her. She met them halfway and they all three embraced for the first time in months. If she could have cried for joy she would have, but as it were she had to make do with a big smile.

As they both stepped back, she had to blush as she faced Harry and remembered what Avery had done with her using his body. She wouldn't be able to quite look at him the same way any more, but there was no way she ever wanted to arouse suspicions as to why. She looked instead at Ron and felt a pull at her heart as she imagined what their relationship would have been like had she never been taken. He had grown taller and slightly broader in the chest, but he was still the same Ron she had known for six years now.

Harry had grown taller as well but other than that he was still exactly the same too. She hugged them both again and she felt people start to crowd around her.

"Wow, Hermione, you look different," Fred commented, scrutinizing her. George agreed.

"We missed you Hermione," Bill said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's good to have you back."

She smiled at him, but hated the way her mind automatically wondered why he was touching her. Wondered if there was some secret reason for the contact and wanted to shrug it off. Thankfully she didn't. Stop it, she told herself, Bill's just acting how any good friend would act. He doesn't want you that way. It's you who's changed, not them.

"Thank you, Bill. It's good to be back," she responded genuinely.

Molly burst into tears right then and grabbed her hard, pulling her close to her chest and shaking. "We thought we'd never see you again."

She patted her back and tried to console her. It felt good to know that she was so missed, so wanted and needed. "Of course you would have seen me again. Sirius did a lot of the work too, as well as," she paused, unsure if she should give up Severus' name just yet. It would not be well received and she really didn't feel like arguing her first day back, "an unlikely ally. It's a secret," she informed quickly, praying that they would let it go after that.

They did, albeit reluctantly. Remus and Tonks hovered on the outside of the group, trying not to look conspicuous. They were both waiting for the instant in which Hermione would let the hammer fall on them and expose what Remus had done during the battle.

She was not going to do that in front of everyone right now. She wanted to enjoy her time being reunited with her friends. Her lack of eye contact let them know that communication was not to be attempted though.

Mrs. Weasely led her over to a table that had the remnants of lunch spread out and made her sit. "Now dear, you look too thin. Hasn't Sirius been feeding you properly at that house of his?"

"Actually Katie's been doing the cooking, Molly. I help out sometimes, but she has a real knack for it." She failed to add that due to the magic alterations that had been made on her body she would not gain any weight unless they were removed. She wondered if that was even possible.

Charlie had followed them over and now spoke up to Sirius. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

The two men walked away to speak and Hermione turned her attention back to the gaggle of boys who had crowded around the table as she ate. The twins were as goofy as ever, while Ron couldn't stop staring at her. Harry she could tell really wanted to ask her about what happened but would never push her for which she was grateful.

Bill had stayed to talk to Fleur's family and Remus and Tonks had instantly joined them.

"Just go ahead, Harry," she said without malice, taking a bite of sandwich, "I know you have questions. Fire away."

He looked surprised and abashed but nodded anyway. "During the battle… what happened?"

She grimaced and looked down at her plate. "Kingsley," she said simply. The other's faces darkened as they realized what she was talking about.

"Sirius told us what that bastard did. If I ever get my hands on him, Hermione I swear--,"

She interrupted him. "I already beat you to it, Harry." She left it at that. They all turned to give each other surprise looks and she went on. "It's done. And I don't feel bad about it, but I don't want to argue about morals with the lot of you," she told them tiredly.

Ron spoke up. "We don't blame you, Hermione. Any of us would have wanted revenge, no matter what the grown-ups say. I only wish I could have done it for you." He turned red again and she wondered if he was going to stop that any time soon.

She smiled briefly and relaxed a smidgeon, finishing her plate until she was stuffed. A hand tapped her on the shoulder and she jerked around to see Sirius standing in back of her.

"Charlie wants to go get Katie now and bring her here instead of waiting until tomorrow."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Something about his schedule. He wants to leave with her right after the ceremony tomorrow and doesn't want to have to go to the house and get her first."

She stood up and moved closer to him so that nobody else could hear. "Make sure you put her somewhere in the house and keep Remus away from her. She will kill him if she ever sees him again, Sirius."

His face tightened knowingly and they glanced over at Remus and Tonks who were still standing by Bill and Fleur. Remus looked up at them with an unreadable look on his face and Sirius nodded to her again. "I'll tell them before I leave. That way they'll have time to make an excuse and leave as well."

"Excuses might not serve him much longer," she told him bitterly. "If she decides to spill the beans about his activities during the battle I won't hold her back. I've only remained silent so far because I don't wish to ruin my reunion with my friends. And," she added looking spitefully at Sirius, "I don't want to send Harry off with the knowledge that his precious godfather isn't as noble as he once thought."

He scowled at her and shook his head. "I'm done apologizing to you Hermione. Go ahead, tell him. I'm not a coward. I won't deny anything that you say and neither will Remus. So kindly refrain from your comments," he whispered heatedly, leaning in closer to her face.

They glared at each other for a moment until they realized that they had an audience desperately trying to listen in. He walked away and she gave a brief smile to the boys and then walked inside the house to be by herself for a few moments. She wasn't by herself for long, just as she figured she wouldn't be. With her back to them still, a small smile graced her lips as Harry and Ron quietly walked up behind her.

"Hermione, do you want to go up to my room with me and Harry? You know… to talk?" Ron asked, fumbling with his shirt and looking awkward.

She turned around and smiled, nodding, and they all trouped up there to reunite with some privacy.

"Fred and George said they would keep Mum distracted for an hour or two," Ron said, opening his door and ushering everyone in quickly. He shut and bolted it, settling down onto his bed and tossing his arms behind his head. Harry sat on his bed also while Hermione made herself comfortable on an old battered recliner that had been broken a long time ago. Someone had sawed the bottom portion off so that it was low to the floor and permanently in its extended position.

"Katie's coming," she told them, knowing that they would probably want to see her. "I guess Charlie's taking her to Romania after the wedding tomorrow, so she'll be staying here tonight."

They nodded absently, each wondering if they should ask her questions about her ordeal or just wait for her to volunteer information on her own. Harry took charge.

"So, what's it like at that house you're staying at with Sirius? He said it was his uncle Alphard's old house that was willed to him a long time ago."

She grimaced. "Well, it's a lot better than Grimmauld Place I'll tell you that," she said, "but, it's really boring, even with the library. It's just me and Katie, and Malfoy's, and then Sirius. We don't talk much since it usually ends up in a fight."

She had noticed Ron's face redden in anger at the mention of Draco and his mother but she ignored him. Harry on the other hand hid his anger better.

"So what happened with the Malfoy's? I mean, why are we hiding them now? Sirius said that they had switched sides or something," Harry told her, looking at her questioningly.

She nodded. "They were caught when Narcissa was trying to talk Draco into going to us for protection. Voldemort threw them into the dungeons and was going to have Narcissa killed, probably by Draco, to prove a point," she added bitterly. "I freed them the night we escaped the manor and they have been with us ever since."

Ron snorted. "They only want us for protection. They don't care about anything we're fighting for."

She looked at him sharply. "Of course, don't you think I know that? It doesn't matter what their reasons are, what matters is that we've got one more Deatheater away from that monster. We saved a boy from having to kill his own mother and perhaps some good will come of this. Permanently, I mean," she added. "I don't know how these events will shape the person that Draco Malfoy will become, but we can always hope."

They looked at her oddly, still blatantly doubtful. Harry spoke first. "He must have done something big for you to have changed your opinion about him."

She looked far away for a moment. "Actually, he didn't really do that much, but under the circumstances, at the time, he was very nice to me. Humane."

The boys glanced at each other, both thinking that Hermione was different than when they had last seen her. She was quieter, more angry under the surface, distant almost.

"Lavender and Pavarti are still there," she told them suddenly forgetting about them in all the discussion. She felt horribly guilty at what she thought of as a betrayal. They hadn't crossed her mind in the last few days.

"Why didn't they come with you?" Ron asked, and Hermione felt doubly horrible when she remembered that Lavender used to be Ron's girlfriend.

She looked down at her hands. "Pavarti was married to Rabastan Lestrange the night before we left. She couldn't leave without him being able to track her wherever she went. It would have been futile for her to leave with our limited resources at the time."

"Why did she marry him?" Harry asked looking repulsed and a jolt of irritation shot through her.

"Well, she didn't want to," she snapped. "She could no longer hide the fact that she was pregnant with his children, twins, and Voldemort forced them to marry so that they babies would be legitimate heirs and future followers. Lavender wouldn't leave her behind," she added sadly, remembering how brave the girl had been. It was the same thing Hermione would have done for any of her two best friends.

This information stunned the two boys and they sat back in shock. "So they _were_ doing that to…," Harry drifted off as he realized he spoke his thoughts aloud.

Hermione sucked in a breath and pursed her lips. Ron looked furious and nauseated at the same time, and her heart plummeted. Of course he would be disgusted. She was disgusted with herself. Even though she had expected this reaction from him, it still hurt her. She covered it up quickly until it was almost like she had never felt the pain.

"Yes," she began briskly and nonchalantly, "that's what they were using us for. I got lucky. I only had to deal with Lucius Malfoy. Katie had to deal with him, Dolohov, and Goyle, that I know of. She eventually killed Goyle. Pavarti was tortured and raped almost daily by both Lestrange brothers, and the other girls were passed around to the rest." She told them all this sounding detached from the experience as if it hadn't happened to her but to a friend.

"I was tortured for information for a few days before I was informed of a trap ready to be laid. I let my parents die rather than tell Voldemort what he wanted to know. By the way, Harry, stay away from Ginny. They were asking me about any girlfriends you might have." Her thoughts were jumping from one thought to the next, but if the boys were having trouble following her they didn't say.

He sat up and went pale, clenching a hand around a bed sheet. Her face softened for him and she set his mind at ease. "Don't worry, Harry, they don't know about her. Don't be mad at me," she began hesitantly, "but I told Voldemort that _I _was your girlfriend."

Harry looked surprised but not angry. Ron however raised an eyebrow, trying hard to appear that he was irrationally jealous. "Why?" he asked simply, knowing there was a good and logical reason behind it.

"Well, partly because I thought that it might add further value to me. You know, I might be spared death or torture if he thought that he could use me to get to you. Everyone already knows of our connection so it wouldn't really be anything new to them." She laughed at that. "I know, its not very heroic, but…," she shrugged, "And secondly, I knew it would throw them off Ginny. I was trying to find a way to keep them from feeling the need to use legilimency on me and that worked. I couldn't bear the thought of knowing I was responsible if something happened to her."

'Wow, Hermione," Harry breathed, "Thanks, That was really clever of you."

Even Ron couldn't begrudge her an act that possibly saved his sister's life.

"Just make sure you don't give anyone reason to think you two are together," she said quickly.

She had to say something now, before this was dragged out the duration of the night. "Listen guys, I don't really want to talk about this anymore. I just want to pretend nothing happened and have fun with my two best friends. Just for tonight," she added at the concerned faces that stared at her. "I've had enough serious talk to last me three lifetimes. I want to hear about what you guys have been up to." She needed this for a short time.

They looked doubtful for a moment and so she decided to force them to talk. "What have you guys been up to this summer?"

They hedged for a bit, clearly not wanting to talk about how they just laid around and played backyard Quidditch while their best friend was being tortured in the Deatheater headquarters. She figured this and did her best to get them over that. It wasn't their fault. And she was free now. She didn't want to dwell on what happened as much as try and pretend she was fine for just a little bit. One day it would all fall apart around her but for now, she needed normalcy.

It didn't take her long, and soon they were laughing and joking just like the old days. The only difference was that Hermione was now careful not to make any physical contact with either boy, and Ron had trouble meeting her eye, while Harry's laugh seemed false at times, as if he were forcing himself to be outwardly happy and not think about all the guilt that kept plunking down on top of his head.

But they were fine, she scoffed inwardly at her nagging fears and doubts. Given the circumstances. Soon this would behind them and they could focus on what mattered the most—killing Voldemort.


	22. The Wedding

The morning brought a bustle of activity that Hermione hadn't seen since her last time she had caught the Hogwarts train to school. Even then her family hadn't been this busy. She had thought that after Mrs. Weasely had spent the last few weeks (so she had been told) scurrying around, trying to make sure that everything was perfect for the Delacour's, there wouldn't have been much else to do.

She was wrong. She could hear the noise and high-pitched voice of Molly carrying up to her room from down below and she turned over in her sheets and stared at the dress she was supposed to wear. Because she was going to be disguised, she wouldn't be able to stand up with Fleur as a bridesmaid like Ginny and Gabrielle. But, she reasoned, she didn't really want to anyway. It just would have been nice to have had the option.

She yawned and climbed out of the makeshift bed they had put up for her, noticing for the first time that Ginny's bed was empty on the other side of the room. She decided to go check with in everyone before dressing just in case Molly wanted her to do something first.

Everyone was rushing about the house or eating breakfast and she dodged a few people she didn't really know that well and entered the kitchen.

"Hermione dear you're up," Molly smiled from over by the stove, "Sit down and I'll get you a plate."

Hermione obliged, tensing up when she noticed Remus and Tonks at the opposite end of the table. It annoyed her that she felt the need to ignore them. Why should she try and spare them anything? She felt a bit ornery today and was itching for a fight.

"Did Katie come back last night?" she asked suddenly, remembering that she was supposed to be here today too.

Molly frowned and looked up at the ceiling as if she could see Katie through it. "Poor dear. They got in just after you went to bed and I haven't seen her since. She said she didn't want to come down for breakfast so I sent Fred up with a plate for her."

Hermione looked over at Tonks and Remus and saw her head bent and picking at her food all of a sudden. Remus sensed Hermione looking over at them and looked up, catching the tail end of her smirk.

"Oh well, it's probably best that she doesn't come down anyway."

A few looked over and frowned. "Why?" George asked. He had always liked Katie, having played Quidditch with her for a while during school. He wanted to help her but he couldn't do that if she was holed up in a room all day.

Hermione kept her mocking smile to herself and forced her eyes not to wander to Remus' again. "Well, George," she said lightly, taking a bit of sausage, "Katie had to sit and wait for weeks, patiently biding her time until the perfect opportunity present itself to escape from Goyle. She didn't just escape either. She killed him. She's fragile right now and I don't know what she'll do if she becomes angry at someone." She said the last word with just enough emphasis to let Remus know that she was talking about him, but not to alert anyone else's suspicion.

She was really enjoying herself this morning. She didn't pay attention to the sideways glances she was getting from everyone due to the slightly 'off' tone in her voice. "Is there anything you would like me to do before the ceremony starts, Mrs. Weasely?"

Molly plastered a smile on her face and shook her head. "I put Ron and Harry to work this morning and everything's almost done. You just go upstairs and get ready and enjoy yourself today, alright dear?" She didn't want to put any more strain on the girl given the odd state she was in. Hermione hadn't come back the same person they all remembered.

Hermione shrugged and finished her breakfast, scraping her chair back and giving everyone a small wave. She knew that as soon as she left, they would all start talking about her and it didn't bother her. She knew that she worried them and they would be eager to try and fix her if they could.

They couldn't, she thought grimly, trudging up the stairs.

She wondered where Sirius was this morning. He hadn't been in the kitchen and she hadn't seen him in any of the rooms she had passed by on her way down. She felt a complex mixture of feelings for the man.

It was sick, but, though she hated him, she wanted to keep him close to her. Close enough to pick on and tear down day after day. Some of the time she didn't even mind his company. She was starting to feel like a schoolyard bully. The kind that usually has two or three friends that he always keeps close by, to keep them subservient to make himself feel better.

Hurting Sirius made her feel better, but she wasn't mean to him all the time. Just enough to constantly remind him of what he had done. And yet she ignored Remus. It made her wonder. Remus by far had done the worst of the two. He had been the one to actually lead most of the children down to the passage out of Hogwarts. He had been the one who had meant more to her.

She shook her head and decided to forego looking for Sirius. She would see him later and if she knew him at all, _he_ would seek _her_ out. She went into her room and closed the door. She had just gotten her pajamas off when someone knocked lightly on her door.

Hermione grabbed a robe and threw it around herself quickly. "Come in," she said with a touch of impatience.

The door opened and Tonks stood in the doorway gripping her wand tightly.

XXXXX

Fleur and Bill had found a moment to meet privately in all the noise and hustle. He had snuck into her room and locked the door, taking care not to look at her dress before the ceremony. It was actually considered bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, but they didn't care. They needed this.

They laid together with Bill's arms wrapped around her slender body and was quietly content.

"What a day this is going to be," Bill sighed, tightening his grip on his soon-to-be wife. He still was amazed that she had agreed to marry him, even after his attack by Fenrir Greyback, the loathsome werewolf that was feared by the entire wizarding world.

One side of his face was marred by scars from where Greyback's long claw like nails swiped at him during the invasion of Hogwarts months ago. He had also been bitten, though the Lycanthropy disease had not been passed on to him due to the fact that he had not been in wolf form while it happened. There were almost no side effects other than a new fondness for rare steak.

He smiled into the silver hair of the girl he loved and thought once more how lucky he was. She hadn't cared at all about his scars. She always said that it just proved how brave he was and kissed his nose affectionately.

"I hope that everyone behaves themselves today," Fleur sniffed, picturing the hordes of people that were going to be attending. Not all of them couth either.

"I weesh that 'ermione could be a bridesmaid," she added, playing with bottom half of Bill's shirt absently.

He nodded in agreement. "Me too. I wish things could just go back to normal for her. She's been through so much."

Silence filled the room for a moment as they both contemplated the events that had transpired over the last few months. It had been the worst summer either of them could remember having ever. Their only joy had been their upcoming nuptials.

"Did you notice ze way zat she treated Remus and Tonks?" It was something that had been occupying her thoughts all night.

Bill nodded slowly. "I did notice that she didn't greet them or speak to them at all." Then he smacked his forehead, startling the woman lying his arms. His thought process worked in odd ways sometimes, partly due to being a Curse-breaker. "How could we be so stupid?"

"What?" she asked sitting up in alarm.

He turned to face her. "Well, they were both at the manor together. Remember? Remus was thought to be a traitor. We all forgave him so quickly because we knew how much he loved Nymphadora and how sorry he was. Who's to say that I wouldn't have done the same thing if Voldemort had you?" he shuddered at the thought but continued before she could speak. "We don't know what went on there. Maybe she doesn't forgive him as easily as we have. Maybe someone should speak to her and try to get her to come around. Explain the facts."

Fleur shrugged uneasily. "If you think zat will help. But, she looks at him sometimes like she hates him."

"Maybe today, after the wedding, I'll take her aside and talk to her. It could be the first step toward healing," Bill said, thoughtfully stroking his chin. His face brightened and he turned mischievously toward her his fiancé.

"But, as of right now, the only woman I want to be thinking about is you," he said, laughingly and dove toward her amidst her shrieks of laughter.

XXXXX

Harry and Ron threw down their brooms in exhaustion. They had been cleaning since dawn it seemed and were finally finished.

"Your mother is certainly trying her best to keep us too tired to even think about leaving tomorrow," Harry groaned, collapsing in a chair alongside Ron, who was red faced and tired too.

"I'm about to spike her drink today with a Sleeping Draught," Ron grumbled. "Or the Draught of Living Death," he added, snickering.

Harry chuckled too and shook his head. "Well, ask Hermione to make it for you because knowing your skill with potions you'll end up giving her a Draught of _Actual_ Death." He laughed and ducked as Ron reached out to punch his arm. They tumbled around for a minute working off some of their aggression and anxiety about the journey they were beginning tomorrow and finally lay sprawled on the ground heaving in exhaustion.

"Do you think Hermione is going to want to come with us?" Harry asked after a moment, staring up at the clear blue sky. He felt so peaceful at this moment.

"I'm not sure. Hermione's," Ron hesitated, clearly feeling as if his next words would be a betrayal of sorts.

"Different," Harry finished for him and agreed. "But, I think we should take her with us. That's how it was planned from the beginning, right? Besides, we can't leave her there all year with Malfoy." His mood darkened and he restlessly sat up.

Ron rolled over and stared at the ground a minute before raising his gaze. "Do you think…there's… something between them?"

Harry looked surprised. "Between Hermione and Malfoy? I doubt it. She would never go for someone like him."

"Yeah, but she would have never willingly let him live with her before either," Ron protested. He moved closer and dropped his voice so that no one could over hear him. "I heard mum and dad talking one night when they thought I was asleep. About Hermione."

Harry leaned closer. "Did they say anything about what happened to her?" He wanted to know but another part of him didn't. His mind was assuming the worst anyways.

Ron just looked at him. "They were talking about what was happening to the all the girls that had been captured. Voldemort had put them in some sort of harem and let his followers do whatever they wanted with them." He looked meaningfully at Harry. "Like, I mean anything." His fists clenched and rolled back over on his stomach to look at the sky while Harry's worst fears were confirmed.

He hated Voldemort more than anything, especially right now. "So Hermione was…?"

"Yeah," Ron said bitterly.

Harry looked at his friend cautiously. "Are you mad at her for it?"

"What!? Of course not," Ron said furiously, unsuccessfully trying to keep his voice down, "How can you even think I would blame her for something like that? I'm mad at those bastards who made her like this. First chance I get I'm going to kill every single one I can find."

Harry was in total agreement. "First we have to kill Voldemort, though. Then the rest will be easier."

XXXXX

"What do you want?" Hermione asked flatly, striding over to where her dress was. Tonks stood in the doorway, motionless as if unsure about what to do. Hermione's glance dropped to her hand holding the wand and she tensed, eying her own just within reach.

"Planning on using that against me?" she asked calmly, meeting her eyes through the mirror.

That seemed to break the spell that was holding Tonks in place. She looked down and back up at her in surprise and entered the room swiftly. "Merlin, no, Hermione. I only brought this to cast a silencing charm on the room so I could speak to you. You must really hate me if you think that," she said quietly, waving the wand around the room and then putting it back into her robes.

Hermione had nothing to say to that comment and instead deliberately let her robe drop to the floor. The sick part of her knew that Tonks would look at her body and it would hurt to know that her husband had looked at it also, done things with it. It would cause her pain and Hermione smiled, reaching for her dress.

Tonks eyes did indeed stray momentarily to look over the new and improved Hermione. She hid the pain in her eyes very swiftly and looked back up at Hermione who was looking at her in through the mirror still.

"Did Remus tell you everything that happened?" she asked, stepping into the dress and shimmying it up her body. Tonks nodded. "You know ever since I first met him I felt that he was a person one could immediately trust. Even after I found out his secret, I still knew that he would never hurt anybody. Over the course of the few years I even grew to love him. Don't worry," she added quickly, "not that way."

Tonks looked mildly relieved.

"If I'm being honest here, I'm sure that there was some part of me that retained some school girl crush for him, but it wasn't really something that occupied my thoughts. I loved Ron. Secretly though, of course. I was too self-conscious to actually act on it before, but I think we made headway, finally, at the end of the school year."

She looked at Tonks again who was still listening silently, wondering where this was going, and began applying make up the Muggle way to give her more time to say what she needed.

"And of course the two of you found each other and were happy finally, which I was glad of. But, I have to say," she began, taking on an entirely different tone, "I hadn't quite expected to be thrown aside so carelessly."

"Hermione, I never would have wanted him to do that just to save me," Tonks cried, "Even though I was pregnant I would have rather died along with my baby if it meant the suffering of others in my place. You have to believe me," Tonks cried, tears coloring her voice.

"Yes, Tonks, I know that. I think I even said something like that to him. But, if what you say is true, then why are still by his side?" Her face hardened as her anger slowly simmered to the surface.

Tonks was silent and with an ashamed look she dropped her head. "What's done is done. I don't care how selfish that sounds. He did what he did. I'm his wife," she flung out desperately, "I love him no matter what he did and I will stand by him and take whatever punishment is doled out. It's just as much my fault."

Hermione tossed her a bitter look. "The worst part of it was that he never realized that they would make both of us pay. Him just for knowing me, for being fond of me. It was a test of his loyalty. He thought he could just do his deal with the devil and he would be fine. I told him that they would use me to get to him, to hurt him and punish him for being on the right side and for being what he was." She paused and looked up at Tonks white face. "And I also told him I would enjoy every second of it that caused him pain. And I did. I'm not sure which is worse. Being forced to do something against your will to someone you hate… or to someone you love."

She was finished with her face and she tossed the brush on the table, standing up to face Tonks. "So, go back and stand by him if you wish. He will get what's coming to him one day and if you're near him you probably will too."

And then she brushed past her and left her room. Tonks remained standing there with tears running down her face, thinking that that wasn't exactly the conversation she had been hoping to have.

XXXXXXXXXX

The wedding was small but beautiful. Ginny and Gabrielle wore lavender colored gowns that looked spectacular on them while Hermione was content to sit in the audience and watch them say their vows. She hadn't disguised herself that much but she now had straight brown hair and blue eyes, as well as a slightly taller stature. Her facial features had been rearranged somewhat but all in all she still felt like herself.

After the ceremony was concluded, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Weasely turned and beamed at their guests, laughing at the cheers and flowers being thrown at them. Relatives from both sides came at them and Hermione thought it was best if she wait to offer her congratulations a bit later.

She managed to find an empty table and sat there simply observing everyone milling about. She almost had to remind herself that she belonged here too. She wasn't an outsider. She was Harry and Ron's best friend. A tap on the shoulder broke her out of her depressing musings.

It was Ron standing there looking awkward. "Hey, do you want to dance, maybe?" he mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down.

She really didn't want to but she didn't want to spoil the mood of the party. Besides, she had been noticing the way Ron still looked at her, as if he still wanted her, even after all that had happened. She felt awful about it, but she just didn't, _couldn't_, feel the same way anymore. Maybe they could talk about it during the dance the dance.

He touched her lightly as if she would break and awkwardly turned her around the dance floor that had been magically put in. Over his shoulder she saw Sirius finally, talking to Remus. It didn't look like their conversation was going well at all. They both glanced up at her as if they felt her stare.

"So, Hermione," he began, "are you still coming with us when we leave tomorrow?"

She had been thinking about that but now that the decision was here, it seemed too soon. But, how would they make it without her? She had always protected them whenever she could. It would seem like a let down to them if she didn't go. "Do you guys want me too?" she asked cautiously, searching his face for clues.

He nodded. "We know that you've been through a lot lately, but if you still want to, we want you to."

It made her fell really good that her best friends still wanted her with them. "Why don't tomorrow you guys leave here and come with me and Sirius back to his house? You can stock up on supplies and discuss a plan where your mother won't be hovering in the background and listening in. The house is in Scotland by some caves so you'll probably like it since it will remind you of your room," she teased, swatting him lightly on the arm.

His face darkened and she was immediately sorry she had even brought it up. "I'm going to kill Malfoy when I see him."

She impatiently looked away wondering why he was so obsessed with Draco. It had been his father who had tortured her not him. Of course, Ron didn't know that, but still. "Ron, he didn't do anything to me. I don't know why you still hate him so much."

He looked her flatly. "There's more to the story than you're telling us. Look me in the eye and tell me there's nothing going on between you and Malfoy. That he never touched you."

She stared at him and even though it was loud and noisy, the silence between them was deafening. She felt she was caught in the headlights so to speak. She had not planned on ever telling them about Draco's part in her humiliation because it was in the past. Looking back, he hadn't had much of a choice either. She remembered what Lucius had said he would do if they didn't do it. Use the Imperius Curse on his own son. She flinched under Ron's stare and felt foolish about lying to him now.

"I can't do that Ron. There's nothing between us in the way that you're implying but at the manor… things happened," she finished lamely, not meeting his eyes.

His grip on her waist tightened and she heard him sharply intake a breath of air. "So everything we thought happened to you was consensual? You liked it?" he asked incredulously, his good old temper about to kick in.

"It wasn't consensual," she answered sharply, "It was going to happen whether I wanted it or not. I was his _reward_," she spat bitterly, "for getting everyone into Hogwarts. I was his _prize_ for the first night and then anyone in the Malfoy family could do what they wanted with me."

His face had reddened in anger. "I don't get it. Why for only one night?" he gritted out. "If the whole family--,"

"Because, Ron," she interrupted furiously, "Draco's reward was my virginity. Do you get it now? No one could touch me until he took it."

Ron stopped moving with her all together and stared down at her with an anguished look on his face. "You mean," he choked out, "that Malfoy was the first…" He looked broken and shook his head. "Krum? I thought—I had resigned myself to the fact that Krum was probably your first and not me. But Draco Malfoy?" He shook his head again as if to settle all the thoughts into place. "I can't--," he looked down at her with pain in his eyes and backed away, looking dazed.

She watched him disappear into the crowd feeling betrayed and let down. And stunned. He couldn't even look at her because of the fact that Draco had her first. It disgusted him so much that he couldn't stand to be near her anymore. Even though in reality she hadn't had a choice. Yes, she had, in the end, become a willing participant, but if she hadn't Draco would have just been forced to rape her violently. She took the better of the two evils. A chance to have sex for the first time in a semi-normal fashion. A chance to like it before it was all ruined for her.

She was aware that couples were laughing and twirling around her dejected form but she didn't see them. She just kept staring at the spot that Ron had vacated trying to make sense out of what just happened. What did just happen? Were they not friends anymore?

Suddenly in the midst of the reception, a large silver badger ran up quickly. Not everyone stopped moving at that time, but as soon as it started speaking they did if only for a second.

"**Scrimgeour is dead,"** the voice of Hestia Jones boomed loudly, **"The Ministry has fallen. They are coming**."

There was only a second to panic and freeze, only a second in which her heart stopped and a million thoughts and intended actions went through her head. Then everything was chaos. People started running and screaming. There were loud pops as they began disapparating away. Loved ones tried to find each other in all the confusion, mothers and children, husbands and wives.

Hermione just stood there in shock. A large rough hand clamped down on her wrist and she looked up to see Sirius looking grimly down at her. "Harry?"

"I can't find him. We have to go."

People started screaming as dark figures began apparating into the backyard. She gripped his hand tightly as they disapparated, but at the last second her stomach sank to the floor when she felt a hand grip her sleeve.

She wanted to shout but couldn't. When she opened her eyes, they were by the caves in front of the house. She tried to run away, but was knocked down by a black boot planted firmly on her chest. Her blood turned cold as she recognized Lucius Malfoy sneering down at her, wand pointed at her face.

Sirius moved to curse him, but the wand pointed at Hermione's face stopped him. "Let her go, Malfoy," he spat, his face turning red and the grip around his wand tightening.

Lucius smirked at him. "No, I don't think I will. This little mudblood bitch had cost me quite a lot." He leaned down to haul her up by her arm, throwing an arm around her chest and pointing his wand at her face still. He leaned down to breath in her scent, laughing cruelly as she winced away from him. His grip on her tightened and he looked over at Sirius.

"Where is my family?" he asked calmly. "I know you know where they are, Black. Tell me."

"Don't tell him," she cried, her voice cut off by his hand on her throat. It released her throat suddenly and traveled down her body to where her wand was hidden in her robes.

"Remember this, my dear?" he whispered, "I've been waiting to get my hands on you again. I don't think I'll let you live this time." He tossed her wand away toward the caves and clamped his arm back down over her chest. "But, I might not be excessively cruel if you tell me what I want to know."

"Never, you bastard," she spat, earning herself a dose of the Cruciatus. She screamed and dropped to the ground, writhing as the old familiar pain coursed through her body. It stopped suddenly when Sirius sent the Killing Curse toward Lucius and he had to block it.

Silver ropes flew out from Lucius' wand and wound themselves around Sirius tightly. He struggled, trying to free himself to no avail.

Hermione was dizzy from the intense pain, and she barely felt the boot kick her leg and roll her over.

"I know its you in there mudblood, but it will make more of an impact if its your face that Black sees as he watches what I'm going to do to you." He sent a spell to her that erased her disguise and left her true form to be seen by everyone. Then he sank down heavily to the ground, straddling her around the waist and ripping the buttons of her robe off one by one. Sirius was yelling and cursing, but there was nothing he could do.

Hermione was frozen, helpless against Lucius. She didn't know what to do. Her mind wanted to fight him off of her, but her body wouldn't move. She was so used to obeying every one of Lucius commands that now, when she was free to do so, she couldn't. She simply lay there frozen.

He licked his lips when he saw her exposed throat and bent down to attack it with his teeth and lips, moaning against her skin. He bit down so hard that blood started running down her chest in rivulets. This seemed to spur her into action and she hit him and kicked him as best she could but he was simply too strong.

His tongue ran over her mouth slicking it with her own blood and he leaned back up and laughed cruelly, wiping his mouth with a sleeve. His hand flew across her face and it snapped to the side, leaving stars behind her eyes.

"Tell me what I want to know, or so help me I will make you wish you were never born," he threatened.

"I already wish that," she shot back defiantly, watching him as he smiled and reached into his robes for something.

"Hermione, just let me tell him," Sirius begged, wondering why he was asking her for permission. It was his damn house. "He's not going to hurt them. It's his family."

"That's right," Lucius sneered, "Listen to your newest master. I won't hurt them. I just want to know that they're safe. Or," he said pausing and looking back down with a gleam in his eye, "we can play with a favorite toy of mine. You remember this don't you?" he inquired, holding up a small silver sphere with tiny wings all over it. Sirius began struggling more in earnest now.

Those weren't wings, she remembered in horror, They were tiny razor blades.

She shook her head as the memories of that first night came back to her in hazy waves. She hated that thing. She remembered exactly how it felt going into her and she would not let it happen again without a fight.

She shrieked and started scrambling away backwards. Anything to get away from it. Lucius only laughed again and grabbed her ankle, dragging her back toward him. She lashed out with a foot and caught him square in the jaw. He was stunned but only for a moment. The look in his eyes told her that she had just made a serious mistake by attacking him. She was wandless.

Wandless!

Her eyes lit up briefly and she stopped struggling, letting her face relax momentarily.

"I don't why I'm fighting you," she said, so calmly that it took both men by surprise.

"Huh?" they asked in unison, Lucius eyeing her with a puzzled look on his face.

In her head she concentrated on silently calling her wand to her while keeping Lucius distracted.

"I said," she repeated, "I don't why I'm fighting you. I should have never escaped from you." Technically she hadn't escaped from him, but… as long as it worked who cared? She kept concentrating.

"I haven't been able to forget all those nights--," of pain, "of pleasure you brought me. You remember don't you?" She began sitting forward on her knees ever so casually, and looking deep into his eyes. She could see Sirius' utterly bewildered look of confusion as he stared at her, trying to figure out if she was under some kind of spell or not.

Lucius eyes turned shrewd and he beckoned her over with two fingers, his lips curving into a pleased smile. She glanced over his shoulder at her wand that was lying about twenty feet away and she figured that she might as well get as close as possible to the thing.

She crawled over to him and pressed her chest against his, letting her eyes rest on his throat. She bent her head to flick her tongue over it, bringing her hands up and running them over his arms and around his neck. He wrenched her head to the side and grinned evilly at Sirius who was getting angrier and angrier by the minute.

"Hermione, I swear to Merlin that you had better be under a spell," he threatened looking around for anything he could use to get rid of his bonds. Of course there was nothing.

Lucius bit down on her sensitive flesh and she held back a scream, instead she let out a cry pleasure which seemed to surprise him. She wondered if he had even believed her little lie.

Looking past his shoulder once more, she reached out an arm and silently screamed _Accio_.

Her wand twitched and then flew toward her outstretched hand. She slammed a knee into Lucius' groin and immediately petrified him. She wanted him to be awake when she killed him.

She turned to release Sirius, but stopped short, looking at him untrusting. "You'll just try and stop me again," she muttered, and turned back around to Lucius' hate filled eyes staring up at her from his rigid body.

"Now you are going to pay for every single thing you did to me," she told him calmly, looking down at him and smiling. "And everything you've ever done to anybody else. You should have been given the Kiss years ago, but you slimed your way out of it didn't you?"

She didn't want to waste anymore time. Raising her wand, she pointed it straight at Lucius face. She ignored the distant shouts that were coming from someone running out of the invisible house and spoke the words that were going to end his life.

"Avada Kadavra."

A flash of green and it was over.


	23. Exposed

**Disclaimer-I own nothing.**

**A/N- Due to the horrible cliffhanger I left ya'll with, I updated as quickly as possible. Some of you won't like this chapter, but it helps the pace of the story along better. And I was in a weird mood today. ******

Hermione blinked. What the hell?

Instead of the lifeless body of the man she hated lying the ground, there was nothing but empty space and grass. She looked around angrily and saw the reason.

Draco held his father's petrified body in the air with his wand raised. He lowered it to the ground and then stepped over it putting himself between her and his father.

"Hermione, I can't let you kill him."

Her mouth hung open. "_What?_ He just tried to kill me. You can't trust him, Draco. He's just here to find out where you and your mother are. How do you know he won't deliver you back to that monster and get us all killed in the process?"

"Because he's my father," he answered resolutely, "and whatever he's done, he deserves to be dealt with fairly."

"Fairly?" she asked, incredulously, "Fairly? When has he ever been fair in his life? Killing him _is_ fair."

"Can someone untie me?" Sirius asked grimly, staring sullenly at the pair of them. In the background Narcissa came running out of the house. Well, the space that the house occupied anyway.

Draco shot a spell over to him that released him and he stood up, brushing himself off as he did so.

"Malfoy, we can't let your father go. He'll tell his master where we are. I can't let you put us all in jeopardy," Sirius told him, shaking his head.

"I'm not asking you too," he answered coldly. "Do you really think that my father will give my mother and I up to the Dark Lord? He won't give away your location because we are with you."

The petrification was beginning to wear off and Hermione leveled her wand at Lucius as he slowly reanimated and stood warily. His wand was on the ground between Draco and Hermione and she quickly summoned it to her, catching it in her free hand.

Draco turned to his father but didn't greet him. Instead, he faced him stiffly, still holding his wand out, but now it was pointed at him. "Father," he said simply, "what are you doing here?"

Lucius gave him a look that doubted his intelligence and raised an eyebrow. "I wished to know where my family was. I was glad that you were able to escape the manor, son."

"I didn't escape. Hermione rescued mother and me."

"Hermione?" Lucius asked. "You're on a first name basis with the mudblood now?" he sneered, batting away the wand that was pointed at him. "Just because you fucked her doesn't mean she's actually a person."

"You are so dead, you fuck," Hermione said, glaring at him and opening her mouth to curse him.

"Wait, Hermione," Draco said, holding a hand up and she scowled but stopped. Sirius came over to her side and also kept his wand trained on the two blondes. Three as Narcissa joined them looking paler than usual.

"Father, I'm not on the Dark Lord's side anymore," Draco said firmly, yet with a slight shakiness to his voice. Lucius was aghast and speechless for once. "Did you actually think I would still be with him after he was going to kill mother? I don't care about blood purity or that lunatic's vendetta. I just want us to be a family again," he pleaded, "We can go away somewhere, to America perhaps, and where he won't find us."

It wasn't as if Lucius himself hadn't been thinking those thoughts of escape, but to hear the others spoken by his son was like a slap in the face. "How can you say that you don't care about blood? Blood is all a witch or wizard has, son. It's what makes us better than _them_." He shot a scathing look at Hermione who stiffened and really wished she knew some more creative torture spells right now.

Draco was getting angry. His face was flushed and his voice shook. "What good is being better than someone if you're dead, father? Blood purity certainly hasn't helped us any. The man you've followed for your entire life was about to kill your wife and probably me too," he added. "Blood didn't help us when we were chained up in the dungeons. In _our own_ house."

Lucius was silent during this entire tirade as was everyone. Hermione never thought she'd hear those words out of Draco's mouth ever. Sirius and Narcissa were just as shocked and Lucius felt like his world was being yanked up from under his feet.

He lowered his eyes to the grass for a long moment while Draco composed himself. It was one thing to want to switch sides at the last minute, to evade incarceration or death by the winning side. But, _this_. To actually start believing _them_ was too much. He would be the first to admit (in select company of course) that the Dark Lord was too volatile and cruel to be followed anymore. But if he should win… Lucius shuddered. He didn't even want to think about what would happen to traitors if he should win.

Draco definitely needed guidance and restructure in his life. And Lucius would give it to him. It was his duty as a father. And no matter what he had done in his life, he loved his son and wife more dearly than anything else.

He raised his eyes back up to his sons. "If that is the way you feel," he said stiffly. "I never wanted to cause you or mother any pain. I," he hesitated, "I'll try and see what I can do. It will take some time to make an effective break," he warned, watching Draco's eyes light up in hope. He couldn't tell what his wife was thinking. Over the years she had become very good at hiding her emotions.

"Draco, don't fall for it," Hermione pleaded desperately to make him see that his father was evil. He only cared about himself when it came down to it.

Lucius gritted his teeth but kept a calm look on his face. That bitch was going to get was coming to her. One way or another. To his relief, Draco ignored the mudblood and stepped forward awkwardly as if not knowing what he should do.

"Son, I have to go for now, but stay here and wait for me," he told him, clutching his wand tighter. "I'll try."

"He's going to hand us over to Volde--," Hermione was cut off abruptly by a genuinely fearful Lucius.

"Don't say his name. It's being tracked," he said quickly, for once sounding like a human being when he was talking to her.

She was surprised. "Tracked?"

He nodded in a superior air and smirked at her. "Yes, tracked. As of today, when the Ministry fell, he cast a spell that outlaws the saying of his name. The only people who say it anyway are you foolish Order members. It's an effective way to find rebels," he smiled.

She grew pale and glanced up at Sirius. She was thinking of Harry and how he always made a point to call Voldemort by his name and not his ridiculous title. Did he know about the tracking? If he said his name just once he could be captured. She shuddered at the thought and refocused her attention on the Malfoys.

Draco looked at her in exasperation. "Do you believe him now? He's not going to turn you in. He just stopped you from calling the Dark Lord to our side."

As frightening as that thought was, she was still extremely annoyed that Draco was so blind. Lucius didn't care about them. He just cared that his wife and son weren't going to go down with them.

"Son, I must go. I don't know when I'll make it back." Lucius stepped forward and quickly put one arm around Draco in a half-hug. Draco looked shocked but returned it cautiously.

Hermione looked at Sirius and they shared a look of scorn while Narcissa looked at her family in bewilderment. Didn't these people ever hug each other?

No one heard the quietly whispered word that Lucius spoke under his breath before releasing his son. Draco's face contorted briefly and Hermione wondered if he was going to cry. She hoped not. That would be one shock too many for this afternoon. He didn't though. He simply looked at his father and nodded his goodbye solemnly stepping aside so that his parents could say theirs.

It wasn't much of a goodbye. There was no hugging or kissing or tears. They simply looked at each other and nodded, much like Draco had done and then Lucius disapparated.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sirius was in a foul mood. Everyone kept their distance, even Hermione at first. There was a certain look in his eye that let her know that it would not be wise to push him right now. He did nothing but scowl and stalk around the house, glaring at Hermione as he did so. She was getting sick of it.

She was also getting sick of _this_. The boredom was eating away at her and her usual pastime favorite of books was not cutting it for her anymore. After months of feeling very extreme emotions, the silence and calm made her restless.

Two nights after Lucius had left, she decided she couldn't stand it anymore and she threw on an old nightgown and grabbed her traveling cloak. She was careful not to wake anyone as she snuck down the stairs and stole out of the house into the dark. She wasn't scared. She felt relieved, a small sense of freedom in the moment.

She walked quickly away from the house forgetting in her hasty departure that she would need Sirius to get back in. She would think about that later. After all, they would be able to see her from the window tomorrow morning if nothing else. Sirius would be mad but he would get over it. He had no choice. He wasn't her master here.

She decided to stop once she reached the beginning of the caves. The very spot where Lucius had held her down on the ground two days before. Her hands clenched when she remembered how close she was to killing him, to ending her pain. All to have it snatched away by Draco.

He was really beginning to wear out his welcome. Whatever kindness he had shown her before wasn't measuring up against her annoyance at his continually defense of his father. The jerk didn't know half of what his father was capable of. It would chill his blood if he were to ever see some of her memories. She laughed quietly as she pictured putting them into a pensieve and shoving him in.

"Something funny?" a low growling voice asked behind her.

She whirled around in fright only to gasp when she saw Sirius standing in back of her. "You scared me," she told him half-annoyed still from her musing of Draco. He was standing there still clad in his signature black, shirt open as if he threw it on on his way out the door, and pants rumpled and old. He looked angry, she noticed.

"What are you doing out here?" she questioned, shivering against a light breeze that rippled over her.

He stepped forward. "I happened to see a girl sneaking out of the house she's supposed to staying in for her protection and decided to follow her. What were you thinking, Hermione?" he asked angrily. "Lucius Malfoy was here not two days ago and knows exactly where we are. He could have laid a trap for any one of us and you would have walked right into it."

"Merlin, Sirius, I highly doubt that he's going to sit around by some caves all night long on the off chance that someone is going to decide to go for a midnight stroll. I also doubt he'd come back so early. He knows that most of us don't trust him." He made her angry by implying that she stupid. She had to get out of that house or she would go insane. "It was just for a few minutes. I needed it."

He half turned away from her furiously. He had been steadily growing angrier and angrier over the past couple days and now it seemed she was going to get a full dose of it.

"I vowed to protect you, Hermione. I can't do that when you knowingly walk around setting yourself up for trouble. You almost got captured again at the wedding because you wouldn't listen to me. You shouldn't have even gone. You never listen and it puts us all in danger," he seethed. His voice was rising with every word spoken and it was making her angrier.

"Who asked you to protect me, Sirius? Nobody," she spat. "You're just trying to clear your conscience. Well, guess what," she said stepping forward and sneering, "you'll never be able to. I'll never let you. The only thing your good for right now is getting us in and out of that house. Nobody wants you here," she taunted, putting her hands on her hips.

His face had darkened. "I've had about enough your shit, Hermione," he threatened, clenching his fists. "I really don't care if you forgive me or not." He stepped forward until he was towering over her. "One day you're going to push me too far and you'll regret it."

She laughed in his face. "What are you going to do? Nothing," she retorted venomously. "You whine about how much I've made you suffer? Well, how about everything I've suffered? You deserve whatever you get and I am _so_ looking forward to the day that Harry finds out what you truly are." Her chest was heaving with anger as stared scornfully up at him.

"And what am I?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

She dove on recklessly wanting to push him until he broke… or until he pushed back. Lately it seemed she had been thriving on confrontations.

"Nothing but a pathetic excuse for a man. A coward and a liar. I'll never forgive you for what happened and I only hope that Harry gives you what you deserve when he finds out that you've never been anything more than an illusion."

"An illusion?" he spat bitterly, the fury boiling in his veins like lava. "I'd rather be an illusion than a fucking lying whore like you."

She drew back in shock. What had he just called her?

"I know the truth, Hermione," he continued cruelly, looking down at her in spite. "How many of those nights when you were fucking Lucius did you actually enjoy it?"

She was too stunned to retort.

"I'm guessing at least a handful. And Draco? You can't fool me," he whispered, leaning down toward her white face. "There was nothing forced about that. And I don't even want to know why you blush every time you see Harry. Did you fuck Avery too? Hmm? In the dungeons?"

This wasn't right. He could not be saying these things to her. She was justified with her words, but what he was saying was wrong. It hurt. A lot. Because she knew that they were true. She had enjoyed it sometimes with Lucius. Sometimes when she closed her eyes and he stopped talking and she could pretend it was someone else. And he was right about Draco. And to her everlasting regret, Avery.

What sort of person was she?

But, he had no right to say such things to her. He didn't know what she had been through. What business of was his what she did to get through the days and nights? That was between her and no one else. Her hands were shaking at her sides.

"You say I'm an illusion? Well so are you," he bit out callously, "You and your fake suffering." By now he didn't care if his words were true or not. He wanted to hurt her, to lash out in retaliation against everything she had said to him.

Her arm swung back and her palm connected with his cheek with a resounding crack. His face darkened in fury and swung his back against her face.

She stumbled back, her heel catching on a rock and throwing her onto the ground. He strode over and grabbed her arm, yanking her up and dragging her over toward a small cave. Her panic grew. Where was he taking her? What was he doing?

"Sirius, let go," she cried, "What are you doing?" She tried to pry his hand from off of her arm but he was too strong. She had gone too far. He had snapped in his rage and now he was going to take it out on her.

He threw her onto the dry cave floor and stared down at her in anger. "You want to act like a bitch, I'll treat you like one," he growled, shoving his open shirt off of his shoulders and onto the ground. Her eyes widened at his half naked form.

She sort of wished that she had kept her mouth shut now. She had always wondered what it would be like to be with Sirius Black, even when she was thirteen. A very brief school girl fantasy that every girl had thought about at one time or another. But, now it was going to be ruined. She hated him, but in the back of her mind she sort of wished that they could do this under different circumstances.

The look in his eyes told her that he wasn't in control of himself. He hadn't been right since his break out form Ahzkaban and after coming out of the Veil he had been even less stable. He grabbed her from off the ground and jerked her toward him, delivering a hard, brutal kiss to her mouth.

His tongue invaded her and she was too stunned at what he was doing to move. His hands ripped off her cloak and tore open her nightgown causing her to give a tiny shriek. He wouldn't let her go however, even as she ripped her head away from him, turning it to the side so that all he had access to was her neck.

He didn't mind that. He ran his tongue over her soft skin and bit down hard, not trying to make it feel good at all. It was right over her newly healed flesh, where Lucius had bit her earlier. Her hands pressed against his chest hard trying to get him off of her. He didn't budge. Her nails dug into his chest and he yanked her head back with her hair so that he was staring into her eyes.

She still saw no trace of warmth in them.

"That doesn't hurt," he spat, "If anything it feels good," he murmured letting hands roam down to her breasts. She kneed him in the groin, causing him to double over and cough. She tried to run pas him but caught her around the waist right at the last minute. He wrestled her to the ground, holding her body pinned with his. His chest felt warm against hers and she could feel the roughness of his pants acutely on her lower half.

She was scared and disgusted at him, but at the same time, the physical pain they were causing each other intermingled with the sexual tension was exciting her. When she become so violent? she wondered.

She fought those emotions down, refusing to let him be right. She was not a whore. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She tried to wriggle away, bucking her hips against him to get him off of her, but he only tightened his bruising grip on her arms until she stopped.

"You're still pathetic," she whispered, wondering if she was crazy. Why was she egging him on?

He bit down on her heck until she cried out in pain and then he smothered her cries with his mouth, letting his tongue brazenly explore what was not his. She tasted so good to him. He moaned into her mouth, pressing his groin against hers in need, letting one hand go from her arm and travel downwards, brushing over her breast.

He shifted his weight to the side, his mouth pressing harder into hers for a moment while he got adjusted. He felt her hand wind through his hair and yank hard, hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. He ignored her and settled his hand between her legs, feeling her smooth flesh part beneath his touch.

Her wriggling renewed its vigor and he lifted up a bit to look into her face. He curled his lip, looking down at her in contempt. One finger began stroking her folds and slipped inside her as he bent his head to her breast to lick her nipple before sucking on it hard. She pressed her lips together determined not let him see her discomfort.

Abruptly he finished and lifted himself up to stand. "Don't bother getting up," he told her angrily, sliding his pants down his legs and furiously throwing them against the cave wall. She didn't try to get up.

He walked back over, seemingly getting angrier with each step. He knelt back down and straddled her body again, his erection resting on her stomach as he leaned over her face. "I treated you well while others only used you for their pleasure. I asked your forgiveness many times over and you spat in my face. I told you that one day you would go too far."

His eyes raked over her body as if it belonged to him and she shivered under his gaze. She would never know exactly what possessed her to do what she did next. She slapped his face again, sharply. Watched the fire rise to his eyes again.

"Like I said before Hermione," he sneered, jerking her up against him with both hands, "You want to be a bitch, I'll treat you like one."

What did he mean?

He slid off her and flipped her around so that her stomach was on the ground. The fear mixed with excitement pooled in her belly as he covered her body heavily with his. He was so warm against her back. She had seen other girls doing it from behind but she had never done it herself. Her conflicting emotions sent a pool of heat down between her legs and she knew then that he would know that she was turned by his treatment of her.

To her immense surprise, he didn't make any cruel remarks as he prodded her slick entrance with his cock. His hand brushed her buttocks and she shivered, burying her head in her arms as his fingers and cock seeked out her warmth.

He shoved into her roughly causing her to cry out from the mixture of pain and pleasure. She could feel every sensation of him inside her as he buried himself to the hilt. His entire body was trembling as he laid still for a minute and leaned his head against her shoulder. Her skin was so sensitive that she shivered from every puff of breath that tickled over her.

No one said anything and she felt the air around them change. Then ever so slightly she felt him move inside her and her breath hitched. He drew out completely and she felt cold until he thrust back into her with a pained gasp. He slid in and out slowly and finally she lifted her hips just a fraction to meet his.

He lost control then and exhaled roughly, winding an arm around her waist and drawing her up onto her hands and knees, but pushing her upper body down so that her ass was high in the air. It was the most exposed and degrading position she had ever been in and her arms shook weakly. She felt a finger trace down her spine over the cleft of her buttocks, lightly swiping over her until she tensed.

What was he going to do?

But, the finger kept going down until it found her hot wetness. It felt good and she held in a moan as she pushed back against it and trembled. He stopped when she wanted him to keep going and placed himself at her entrance again, barely giving her time to adjust before entering her swiftly.

She felt fuller than she ever had before even with Avery and she moaned loudly, settling herself back against him. He seemed to feed off of her desire and he wrapped an arm around her waist and curved his body over hers as he thrust into her rapidly. He came quickly but made no move to release her.

He only needed a moment before he continued, just as hard as he was before. Her knees were being scraped over the ground but she didn't care. All she saw was the backs of her eyelids and all she felt was him.

His arm tightened around her waist as he bent to press kisses down her back. She arched to meet his lips as his pace quickened and they both moaned and gasped. His other hand came around her stomach to slide down to her heat.

She hissed and bucked against his hand before pressing her own hand against his, rhythmically grinding against the twin stimulation. She didn't even bother to hold back her cries as she felt the heat in her body build and the tension tauten.

He stopped suddenly, pulling out and dragging her backwards against him until he was leaning back against his heels and she was mimicking his position in front of him. He quickly drew her back until her legs were on either side of his and slammed her down on to him, thrusting his hips up in the process.

She almost screamed. Her head fell back wantonly against his shoulder and her sweat slicked back moved up and down his chest. She was so close to coming again. She placed her hands on his hips as they moving furiously up and down, his fingers stroking and pushing her to completion.

Her body shuddered as wave after wave washed over her. Her tight passage fluttered and spasmed around his cock milking every ounce of his seed from within him. They collapsed against each other, his lax hand against her thigh and her head thrown back onto his shoulder as they heaved in oxygen.

The burning embarrassment came a minute later as the pressing reality of what they had done screamed in the silence. Sirius was horrified at himself. He couldn't believe he had practically raped her in a fit of temper. The things he had said to her, had called her, made him sick. He didn't really think she was a whore. Even if she had somewhat enjoyed the sex sometimes, when it came down to it, it was rape every time. She never had a choice.

Just like he hadn't given her much of one tonight. Even though he knew, at the end that she had enjoyed it. Nothing he had ever done ever compared to this feeling of sickness that he felt in the pit of his stomach. He had just made every single one of her words true with his actions tonight.

She was staring at the opposite end of the cave and wondering what the hell just happened. Just thinking about the things that they had just done made lust shoot straight to her belly. And at the same time she was disgusted at herself. He had made her like it on purpose just to humiliate her afterwards. She realized her hands were still lightly resting on his hips and she slowly moved them to her lap, wondering what was going to happen now.

Her face hardened and she stood, her knees creaking as she straightened them out. She wouldn't give him the opportunity to humiliate her first.

"Well, I guess you were right," she said stiffly, unable to hide her trembling voice, "I _am_ nothing but a whore."

Her words cut into him and he lost his voice as she walked over to her clothes and hastily put them back on. Her cloak was damaged but she wrapped it around herself like a blanket and looked pointedly at the bottom of the cave wall beside her, waiting for him so she could get back into the house.

He put his pants back on and scooped up his shirt not meeting her eyes. He heard her following him out of the cave and into the night. He lightly touched her hand in order to expose the house and then jerked away from her as if burned. He missed her flinch.

Nothing more was said between them. He walked into the study and shut the door and she climbed the stairs to the third floor and walked into her bedroom, also shutting the door.

It was sad that it was _now_ that she had found something about Sirius that she liked. She liked this Sirius far better than the apologetic over-protective Sirius. But, it made her burn that he had purposely humiliated her tonight. She was so confused by her conflicted feelings. What would happen in the morning?

**Yes, I had them have sex finally. In a rough not very romantic way. I did that on purpose just so everyone knows. I think Hermione will like it rougher after Avery and Sirius was majorly pissed off. Now we have some nice confusion and sexual tension to build off of in the coming chapters. Of course, Sirius isn't going to know that Hermione liked the sex and she isn't going to know that he had no intention of embarrassing her with rude comments afterwards.**

**She still hates Sirius, but the sexual tension is going to help over ride that a little in the future. Anyhoozle, some won't like how fast I had them hook up, but there's only so much tragic lament and unrequited whatever that I can write about before I get impatient. ******** Also, I'm sure that people who have gone through what Hermione has will probably not want to have sex realistically, but this is fiction, so in this story she does. Just rough, manhandle sex that isn't cruel.**


	24. The Forest of Dean

**Disclaimer-I own nothing.**

**A/N- Here it is. Finally. It took forever but I'm back on track. I'm sorry about the wait but there was nothing I could do. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for your patience!**

The house was quiet. Everyone pretty much kept to themselves all day, as if sensing something wasn't right in the air. Narcissa confined herself to her room barely coming out to eat and Draco did the same. The encounter with his father had obviously shaken him. He was colder and more remote than before and answered everyone with brief simple answers.

Sirius and Hermione managed to go almost four days without having to see each other. When she was in the kitchen, he took his dinner in his room. When he was in the library, she stayed away until he was gone. She wondered if they could keep this up until the war was over. Hopefully, but probably not.

There was still no sign of Harry or Ron. She was beginning to contemplate leaving to go find them. She knew far more tracking spells than they did, and all her free time recently had been devoted to the study of more intricate magic. Right now she was in the library, bent over a book that was at least five hundred years old and was preserved by magic alone.

"Hermione?"

Her head shot up quickly at the sound of Draco's voice. He was standing in the doorway looking at her questioningly.

She sat back in her chair and gave him a small smile. "What is it, Draco?"

He looked over his shoulder quickly and then shut the doors, walking over and sitting opposite her at the table. His face was paler than usual and his hair was more ruffled.

"Is something wrong?" she asked quickly, worried that Snape had somehow sent him a message about Harry. What if he had been captured?

"Yes," he said grimly, running a hand through his hair, "Professor Snape just contacted me through the Dark Mark and told me some news.

"What?' she asked, starting to panic.

"The Dark Lord has found Potter and Weasely and is planning their capture as we speak. Apparently, he was detected hiding out in some forest. The one where the Quidditch World Cup was held a couple years ago, remember?"

Her worst fears were just confirmed and she started shaking.

"The good news is that the Dark Lord wants to wait until nightfall for the mission to make sure that the two are asleep before their capture. He doesn't want anything to go wrong or take the chance that they might receive aid from anyone before he gets his hands on them. That means we have time to get to them before he does." He sat back at stared at her expectantly.

Hermione jumped up right away and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

She answered without looking back. "To tell Sirius. If the three of us leave now we might be able to find them before _he_ does."

"Wait," he called out, "are you sure you should tell Black? I mean, he's not exactly my biggest fan and he'll just stall us."

She stopped and turned around. "I know, but Sirius is a far better dueler than either of us and he knows spells that we don't. Besides," she said quietly, "he would die for Harry. If it's in his power to save him, he will."

Draco stood up and grabbed her arm roughly, letting go when he saw her incredulous look. "I'm sorry. I'm just saying that I don't think he's going to believe us. And besides, are you sure that he will even want to go. He did betray you after all. I can't believe that he would be too eager to face Potter again."

"Whatever his fears are, Draco, Sirius will not just sit back and let Harry die," she said firmly, getting annoyed that Draco was delaying her. "Now come on. We're wasting time."

She strode out of the room and raced up the stairs to Sirius bedroom with Draco following, a sour expression on his face. Her dread of facing Sirius again was shoved aside only by her panic for Harry and Ron's safety. She knocked loudly on the door but before any answer could come she burst in, breathing heavy.

Sirius looked up in alarm at the sight of the two coming through his doorway. "What's wrong?"

"He knows where Harry and Ron are, Sirius. He's planning to capture them tonight," she told him, bracing a hand on the wall to catch her breath.

His face twisted and he stood up. "How do you know?"

Draco stayed silent staring off deep in thought so Hermione answer for him. "Draco got a message from Snape a few minutes ago. He's in the Forest of Dean right now and if we hurry we can get to him before _he_ does."

Sirius looked over at Draco suspiciously. "How do I know you're telling the truth, Malfoy?"

Draco rolled his eyes and gave Hermione a look that said 'I told you so'. "You can choose to believe me or not. I really don't care. I have just as much to lose now if Potter gets captured as you do. The Dark Lord will torture and kill me and my family along with you and everyone you've ever loved." He sneered at the word and Hermione wondered briefly what was wrong with him. She didn't have time to ask him now but she would once this was over and her friends were safe.

"Sirius, we don't have a choice. If he's telling the truth we can save Harry. If we doubt him and he gets captured, everything we've fought for will be lost."

Sirius regarded her silently for a few moments and then turned around to face his window. He didn't have a good feeling about this but Hermione was right. How could they just sit here if what the Malfoy boy said was true? He just couldn't bring himself to trust him though.

"Please Sirius. We're wasting time."

And then there was her. The guilt that had been eating away at him for four days was always present and constant. Maybe she would forgive him more easily if he sided with her without a fight this time. Something kept gnawing at his insides though.

"Why is the bastard waiting until tonight to get Harry? That doesn't really seem his style. And don't forget that this could be a trap," he reminded them. "Remember the Ministry? He set a trap and the six of you walked right in. I died remember?"

Hermione brushed his words off, trying to get him to see things her way. "You came back. And by the way, you didn't really die. You were just in another dimension, of sorts."

"And when you think about it," Draco cut in, "if something goes wrong, we can just apparate away. Mother can take me and you take Granger."

Granger? Hermione looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Draco hastily recovered. "I mean Hermione."

She was surprised that he would want to put his mother in any sort of danger. He was very protective of her especially now.

"Apparating isn't always failsafe. Any Deatheater could simply grab on and come along for the ride. And then our location would be compromised."

"So what do you suggest?" Hermione asked angrily. "We just sit around and hope Snape is wrong? Or hope that Harry and Ron can manage to evade capture?"

"Of course not," he responded, raising his voice in irritation, "I'm simply making sure that you two know every angle before we just go rushing in blindly on the word of two Deatheaters."

Draco glared at him and clenched his wand inside his robes. Hermione interjected before any spells could be shot off.

"Well, Draco and I are going. You can come along if you want." And with that she walked out of the room to grab some things from hers.

"Alright," he called, making her halt in her tracks. "I'll come with you. Just let me get dressed first," he said tiredly, worn out by the constant arguing between them.

She smiled triumphantly to herself and continued on to her room. Draco walked downstairs slowly to go get his mother.

XXXXX

"Lucius," Voldemort's cold high voice intoned around the chamber, "you better have information for me about your family's whereabouts or else I just might decide that the Malfoy line has lived out its usefulness."

Lucius knelt on the stone floor with his bowed. "My lord, I do indeed have news for you. My son has contacted me. He wishes to redeem himself in your eyes but is afraid."

"Fear is for the weak, Lucius. I highly doubt that your son has anything of value to offer me. Contact him and persuade him to meet you somewhere. Then bring him to me. Along with your wife." His red eyes gleamed in the dimly lit room and Lucius' heart missed a beat.

"My Lord, he wishes to come to you. As well as my wife. She realizes now how foolish she was to persuade my son to leave you. Draco has told me that he is luring Black and the mudblood girl into a forest. When he gets them there he will alert me and they will be re-captured with your permission. They will be extremely helpful in luring Potter in. He cares deeply about them," he sneered, a sheen of sweat betraying his true fear.

Voldemort's attention was now completely focused on his servant kneeling before him. "Has your son been with them this whole time?"

"It appears so, my lord."

It seemed like an eternity before his master answered him again.

"Tell your son that I approve of this plan. If it succeeds then he and your wife will be welcomed back with open arms."

Lucius heart soared.

"But, if it doesn't…," he paused maliciously, letting his words and tone sink in fully, "I don't think I have to tell you what will happen if it doesn't. Go now. Alert the others."

Lucius nodded and rose stiffly. Kneeling before this man wasn't as easy as it had been twenty years ago.

XXXXX

Two pops resounded in the silent forest as the four apparated in. They looked around cautiously, wary of any traps. After a few moments, Hermione expelled a breath and took out her wand.

"What are you doing?" Draco inquired.

"We still don't know exactly where they are. I'm using a tracking spell to find them."

The light seemed to dawn on Draco and his face brightened considerably. "Of course," he said slowly, "That's an excellent idea. How long will it be until you know?"

Narcissa stared at her son with an inscrutable look while Hermione only shrugged. "I've never used it before. It should be quick though. A few minutes."

She mentally cast the spell and closed her eyes. Draco turned away from them to survey their surroundings while she focused on finding Harry. The book said that only the caster would be told the location of the thing being tracked so she had to concentrate. Narcissa walked over to speak to her son in hushed tones.

The hairs on Sirius neck were rising. He wanted to find Harry and get out of here as soon as possible. His gaze roamed intently over the Malfoys and he didn't let them out of his sight for the next two minutes.

"Is it working yet?" Draco asked frustrated. His eyes were constantly scanning the forest and something in them made Sirius instantly alert.

Hermione opened her eyes with a smile and announced, "I found them."

Just then, loud popping sounds echoed around the forest. Smoky figures materialized out of nowhere and Sirius grabbed Hermione's arm and yanked her to him, wand out at the ready. She could feel the lurching tug of apparition but then all of a sudden it was gone and they were both lying on the floor of the forest.

Her head was swimming as she lifted herself weakly off the ground.

"Excellant job, Draco. The Dark Lord will reward you greatly for this."

Her stomach heaved as she recognized the voice of Bellatrix. Draco had betrayed them? No. That wasn't possible. How could he?

"You vile snake," Sirius spat, "I knew better than to trust you. We should have killed your family when we had the chance."

"Did you really think that I would ever betray the Dark Lord?" Draco asked in an amused voice. "That I would ever willingly associate with blood-traitors and mudbloods?"

His words were like knives to her. "This is impossible. You're lying," she cried. "We risked everything to save you and you betrayed us."

His smug look was all the confirmation that she needed. How could this be happening? He couldn't have been acting the whole time, she realized. Seeing his father again must have been the deciding factor. He was a coward who only wanted to make it out of this war alive with no thought as to which side he was actually supporting.

Avery stepped forward in his black robes alongside Bellatrix. "The Dark Lord has plans for the both of you." His eyes flicked over to Hermione. "Though of course they will be quite unlike the last time. He will not be so easy on you this time."

She paled at the meaning of his words and wondered with dread just what was in store for her.

"Enough talk," Mulciber cut in sharply, his large frame coming into her view, "Grab them and let's go."

Before anyone could touch them, Sirius grabbed his wand and stunned the nearest Deatheater, grabbing Hermione dashing over behind a tree just as a stream of red light missed them.

"This is all my fault, Sirius. I'm so sorry," she pleaded, clutching his arm tightly.

He looked grimly down at her but his eyes weren't angry. "He betrayed all of us. I almost fell for it too. Now hold on."

The same lurching sensation gripped her and just as the forest disappeared Draco's face came into view, contorted with anger. Sirius yelled something, but all she felt was the familiar intense stabbing pain before everything went dark.

XXXXXXXXXX

When she opened her eyes the pain washed over her. She had forgotten the effects of the Cruciatus Curse but her memory was rapidly returning. Groaning, she sat up and looked around. She was Voldemort's room, she realized with a sick panicky feeling. She looked down and hastily jumped up. She was lying in his bed.

Her wand was nowhere to be found but she didn't really expect that it would be still on her. Thankfully she was still dressed in the clothes she had left the house in earlier. She shuddered at the thought of being naked in Voldemort's bed and decided that she had to find a way out of here before anyone found out she was awake.

To her surprise the doors were open. She knew that this was to trap her into feeling confident and secure but she couldn't stop. She had to get out of here or she would die. She couldn't do this shit again. That little bastard Draco, she fumed. She was going to kill him the next chance she got.

She stopped suddenly just outside the door. Sirius! She had forgotten that they were together when Draco had hit them with the curse. Had he made it out alive? Was he captured too? Avery had said that Voldemort had plans for both of them so if Sirius was captured he must still be alive. In what condition would be hard to say.

This was all her fault. She had blindly trusted Draco and had coerced Sirius into coming along and now they were both paying for her stupidity. Sirius had been right, she realized with a deep pang. She was childish and impulsive when she should have been steady and mature. In a time of war one had to grow up fast or be trampled underfoot and she had failed.

She sighed and shut the door again. It was futile to try and escape and she knew it. Whether it seemed it or not, she was in a cage same as a dungeon cell. This cage just happened to be nicer… and warmer.

"I was wondering when you would realize that it is futile to try and escape."

She swung around and saw the tall, dark cloaked figure of Lord Voldemort. She backed away in fear. Had he been invisible this whole time? She swallowed nervously as he slowly circled her.

"You caused me quite a bit of trouble the last time you were here," he continued in his cold voice.

"Then let me go and I won't cause any for you again," she answered, sounding not very brave even to her own ears.

He laughed, a terrible sound, and regarded her intently. "I don't think I will be letting you go just yet. You see, I was given the impression that you are quite close to Harry Potter. That he might do anything to save you."

Her mouth went dry. "He didn't last time."

His head nodded in agreement with her. "That is true. However, last time he was under the influence of the Order of the Phoenix. This time he is running for his life. Alone."

She wanted to tell him that Harry wasn't alone but she didn't want to drag Ron into the conversation if she could help it. "Then it wouldn't be very smart of him to try and storm the Malfoy fortress, would it?"

"No it wouldn't," he agreed once again. "But, when he sees what I'm going to do to you, he might make the stupid mistake anyway."

Her fear was rising so high that she feared she might pass out. She felt weaker this time, like her power was deserting her.

"Where's Sirius?" she dared to ask.

A bone white hand flippantly brushed off her question. "Oh, he's being taken care of as we speak. So many new spells to try and so little time. I don't quite think that I've ever heard a man scream as loud as I did a few minutes ago in the dungeon." His red eyes gleamed cruelly at her as her face whitened.

He was being tortured because of her. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a vice grip. No matter how much she hated him, the thought of his suffering Merlin knows what at the hands of Deatheaters was too much.

"Now there might be something you can do to alleviate his pain," Voldemort continued, regarding her through lowered lids. "I was told that just before my loyal followers surrounded you, you became aware of Harry Potter's whereabouts."

No! He was going to force her to give up Harry's location. She couldn't. Not even to save Sirius. But, could she just let him die?

"What shall it be? Harry Potter or Sirius Black?"

Her voice quavered and she hated herself for it. "I'll never betray Harry. I want to see Sirius and know if you're telling the truth."

He chuckled. "I always tell the truth, mudblood. However, if you really wish to see the atrocities being committed against your _lover_," he sneered, "then by all means."

His eyes, full of malice, flickered toward the doors. "I believe you remember the way to the dungeons. You will walk in front of me."

She swallowed again and willed herself to walk steadily. It was harder than anything she had to do at that point. His eyes bore holes into her back, never leaving her for even a second. What was he going to do to her once she had seen Sirius?

The walk to the dungeons was a blur. Suddenly, they were there and cold fingers wrapped themselves around her upper arm stronger than anything she had ever felt before. She looked down in faint horror at being touched by Voldemort.

"Walk," he ordered icily, forcing her to still walk in front of him.

She darted glances in every cell to make sure that no one she knew was being held there. To her horror, the next one she looked into held someone that she did indeed know. At least by sight. There was no mistaking the Black family traits in that face. Long rippling dark hair surrounded a face very similar to her sister Bellatrix's only this one was softer, more human.

"Andromeda?" Hermione whispered, jerking to a stop despite Voldemort's grip. She suspected that he wanted her to see this.

"Who are you?" Andromeda asked, sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees. She looked somewhat taken care of, but still in bad shape.

"I'm a friend of Harry's," she told her in a small voice.

Andromeda nodded slowly and shot a look full of loathing and spite to Voldemort. "I'll never do what you want me to. You'll have to kill me first."

Voldemort shrugged uncaring. "I don't care whether you live or die. You're forgetting though, that a wizarding marriage isn't decided by the woman. Once Sirius agrees, you will be wed whether you want to or not."

Her face had paled as well as Hermione's. "I'll kill myself first."

His gaze was now fully focused on her. "And I will simply have you petrified while I put Sirius under the Imperius Curse. No one said that you have to be mobile to get pregnant." He laughed at her horrified look. "Once your baby is born, by all means kill yourself. Only if it's a boy. Girls are of no use to me until they reach maturity."

He clamped down again on Hermione's arm and started to lead her away. "Think about my words and when I come to you again you can give me your answer," he called as they walked away.

Hermione was horrified at what she had just heard. "You are so evil," she whispered.

"I am the most powerful wizard that has ever lived. Your precious Dumbledore was testament to that fact. In the end, I killed him too." His silky voice caused her to shiver.

Sirius' cell came into view and she gasped, trying to wrench her arm away from Voldemort's grasp. She only succeeded in hurting herself so she gave up and looked forlornly at Sirius' form on the stone floor.

He was bruised and bloody and only half alive it seemed. His chest barely rose when he took a breath.

"What do you have to say now? Do you wish his torture to stop so that I can get on with my plans for him? Or shall we proceed now?" He lifted his wand into the air and pointed it down towards Sirius.

"No! Stop," she cried, "I don't know where Harry is. My concentration was broken before the spell could be completed."

"I know that is not true. I will ask only one more time."

"Leave her alone," Sirius said weakly.

They both looked down at Sirius who was trying to lift himself off the ground into a sitting position. His face seemed almost bloodless as it looked up at them.

"Ah, you're awake. Good. I was just discussing with the mudblood about her options concerning your release. She doesn't seem to be very fond of you as she is very uncooperative."

"That's not true," she protested looking over at Sirius. "He wants me to tell him where Harry is, but I don't know."

Voldemort was not a man given to repeating himself. The wand swiftly went from being pointed at Sirius to Hermione. The curse hit her swiftly and more terribly than ever before. There was no way she could withstand the pain and her screams ricocheted off the walls. After what seemed like an eternity, it was lifted and her spasming body was left on the floor. She could hear Sirius yelling hoarsely in the background but couldn't make out the words through the buzzing in her head.

"Tell me what I want to know or I will continue."

She didn't answer fast enough because another curse hit her. This time it felt like she got punched in the stomach with an iron fist. Her breath left her and stars danced in the back of her eyes. Just before the darkness was threatening to consume her, the pain was lifted and she could breathe again. Gasping for air, she weakly opened her eyes and coughed into the stone beneath her.

"Shall I go again?" he asked casually, lifting his wand again but Sirius broke in.

"No! Stop. Leave her alone and I'll do what you want. I'll marry her," he gasped.

The red eyes gleamed and considered this for a moment and then his lips curved into a horrible smile and he answered, "Agreed. The wedding will take place tomorrow. Get some sleep," he taunted.

Hermione wanted to cry out and tell him not to give in but her voice wouldn't work. It felt as if she had been Silenced. Her limbs went rigid and moved of their own accord, standing her up and forcing her to walk through her pain.

"Where are you taking her?" Sirius yelled, grabbing the bars like a madman. He looked very much like his old wanted posters just then and Hermione wanted to shiver at the look in his eyes.

Voldemort merely laughed coldly and never turned around. "Everything in the wizarding world is mine, Black. What I choose to do with my property will never concern you."


	25. Reeling Him In

When they exited the dungeon, two Deatheaters appeared from the shadows. Hermione recognized, with a cold ball of fear, Avery and Draco. They both looked at her coldly though their gazes immediately lowered as Voldemort started to speak.

"You know what to do with her," he told them and flicked a hand towards her. Immediately she fell limp to the floor, the spell apparently taken off. Her body still ached and it wasn't looking forward to more pain.

"With pleasure, milord," Avery replied in respectful tones.

"Draco, I hope I don't have to tell you what will happen if anything goes wrong."

Draco shook his blond head. "No, milord. I was weak. It will never happen again."

The Dark Lord's lips curved into a mirthless smile. His red eyes were cold. "Excellent. Then I think you should be the one to torture the mudblood. You have a lot to atone for. Should your weakness make an appearance again, the Malfoy line will end… abruptly." His voice seemed to come from everywhere. It smoothness was like a blade cutting through their fear like it was silk.

Hermione's stomach plummeted and a strange feeling pricked the back of her eyes. Why was her body betraying her now of all times? She needed the strength of the unfeeling that had been her companion for months now. It looked as if it was trying to desert her.

"I understand, milord," Draco responded, his voice steady and apparently unconcerned.

If Voldemort found the young boy's calm countenance odd, he said nothing about it. Instead he straightened and towered over all three of them. "The mudblood knows of Potter's whereabouts."

"Shall we torture it out of her?" Avery asked. He said it as if he was asking if he could take a walk outside.

"No. It is not important. Soon he will come to me."

Hermione knew that he was going to use her to lure Harry to the Manor the same as he had in fifth year with Sirius. Hopefully, Harry had learned his lesson. Even her life wasn't worth the annihilation of the wizarding world as they knew it.

"Take the girl to her new living quarters and be in my chambers tonight at midnight." That was all Voldemort said before sweeping away, leaving the three of them alone.

Hermione was still on the floor and made no move to get up. She didn't have the courage to look up at them either.

"You must think you are very smart, escaping the way you did," Avery began, his voice neutral as always.

She said nothing.

"It was stupid to think that we wouldn't find you again. Maybe you thought yourself safe with Draco here by your side?"

Draco snorted and then gave a quiet snicker. She saw his boots step toward her and felt a hand jerk her up to a standing position. She glared at him, not knowing what else to do. Her fear was making her react angrily.

"It was too easy to lure you out of hiding. All I had to do was dangle Harry Potter in front of you and you came running," Draco said in an amused tone, looking at her oddly. She wouldn't respond back. Nothing she said would make a difference anyway.

"It's actually pathetic when you think about it," he laughed and she must have had a death wish because she quickly struck out and left a red handprint stinging across his cheek. His eyes blazed in anger and he slapped her back hard across the face making her eyes water in pain.

Avery shifted impatiently. "Alright, Draco. Lead her to the cell. We must follow the Dark Lord's orders."

Hermione knew she was going to be tortured no matter what and figured whatever she said wouldn't make it worse or easier for her. Her mouth curved into a disdainful smirk.

"But not all the time, right?"

They both looked at her, waiting for the rest. She turned her smirk onto Avery and in the second that their eyes met, she knew that he knew what she was referring to. His eyes hardened and when he spoke his tone was flat.

"Draco, leave us. I will take her."

Draco grew angry and his face flushed. "No. I'm not giving the Dark Lord any reason to kill me or my family."

Avery spoke calmly again without taking his eyes off of Hermione. "Draco, if you don't obey me I will end your life myself."

He said it matter of factly and everyone knew that he was deadly serious. Draco was still angry but after a long moment of staring at Avery he stormed off, presumably to his father. Avery's inhumanly blue eyes pierced through Hermione.

"Walk," he ordered flatly and Hermione decided to pick her battles and so obeyed him. She could feel his eyes on her back as they walked on in silence.

"So," she began in false casualness, "whatever happened to that Hufflepuff bitch you had spying for you? Still devoted as ever?" She snickered and inwardly braced herself for a blow. None came.

"I killed her," he answered calmly. It sent shivers down her spine to hear him speak of murder so heartlessly. What was this man capable of?

"But who will come running to you now?" she mocked, wanting to draw out as much information as possible.

"Whoever I want."

It was so true that it made her want to cry. If only she could. Her attempts at drawing him into a conversation weren't working and they still had time before they got to Voldemort's room. She assumed that's where her new 'room' was. She decided to try a tactic closer to home.

"I hope you weren't tortured too badly on my account," she began again casually.

"I've had worse," he answered simply.

"Dumbledore had legions of followers, far more than your _master_, and he never had to torture anyone to get them to follow him."

Silence. She was hitting a nerve she guessed.

"It would be horrible to get tortured for every little thing."

"You'll find out how it feels tonight." His voice was getting more emotion in it than previously.

She forced her voice to be casual and airy. "Well, I'm sure it will be the same as all of our previous get-togethers. Wait." She pretended to think. "Maybe not. Not if Draco's doing it. You really think he has what it takes? I don't know. Now if it was you," she drifted off, giving a mock shiver, "I might have something to worry about."

He wasn't responding and she kept going. They were almost to the door.

"It must really grate on you, having to step aside for a boy half your age with practically no experience."

"How do you think I gained my experience?" he asked matter of factly, placing an iron grip on her shoulder to stop her. His wand went immediately to her throat silently reminding her of what would happen should she try to run. "Others before me stepped aside."

He opened the door and led her into the chamber with surprising politeness. When she turned around as the door shut she figured out why. His body was relaxed but his eyes were brimming with anticipation and anger. She backed away warily.

"Aren't you supposed to leave me intact for tonight's… festivities?" Anything to prolong the time between torture sessions.

Amazingly, he smiled. He was really attractive when he smiled. Too bad he was a complete psychopath.

"Actually, it doesn't really matter," he said flexing his hand around his wand. "The Dark Lord merely wants the ends. The means are of no consequence to him."

The deatheaters still didn't know that she could perform wandless magic. She was tired of not fighting back and so when a stream of bright red light shot towards her, she deflected it easily. Avery was surprised. It was a rare thing to see.

"I had strongly suspected all this time that you were doing magic even with the bracelet on, and I was right. How did you do it?" he asked curiously. She knew he wanted to find out who had been helping her and kept silent.

"You don't have to tell me. I already know."

"Yeah? Then how?" she shot back, standing defensively behind a sofa.

"Griselda."

Was it that obvious? "What makes you think it was her?"

"She had constant access to the prisoners and has a grudge against the Dark Lord. She was pureblood herself, but a traitor. Much like the Weasely family. She was enslaved to a lifetime of servitude as well her entire family, no better than a house elf. The Dark Lord ended her life as soon as you escaped."

She was sorry that Griselda had given her life to help her. She should've come with them.

"It must have been very strong dark magic that she gave you. Only the strongest would penetrate the shield of the bracelet. How does it feel to have something you despise and have fought against inside you?" His calm mocking voice echoed softly around the room putting her on edge.

"It's a feeling I've gotten used to since I was captured and forced to live here," she replied.

His lips turned up in cold amusement. "Yes, I suppose you have."

XXXXX

Rabastan sat at his desk, hunched over, writing a letter to a cousin who lived in the outskirts of Paris. Out of the corner of is eye, he kept watch over his wife who was sitting in an armchair with her friend and servant at her feet. He had not touched Lavender yet, in an effort to keep his young wife calm while she was pregnant with his firstborn son, but he had no qualms about giving her to his brother on occasion.

Rodolphus was constantly tense and on edge since Ahzkaban and unless he was needed by the Dark Lord he kept to his darkened rooms, speaking to no one save his brother and sometimes his wife. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were married, but had taken to leading separate lives now. Their marriage had been one of convenience, arranged when they were young and they now had nothing in common with each other but the Dark Lord's vendetta. And even then they disagreed, though never publicly.

Tonight was one of those rare nights that Rodolphus had joined his brother in his room. He sat in a chair away from everyone and stared off into the fire.

"What are the Dark Lord's plans for the mudblood?"

Rabastan was surprised that his brother had spoken after so many hours of silence, but he turned around and leaned back in his chair, stretching. His sharp eyes didn't miss the way both girl's ears perked up and their conversation slowed to a halt. He knew they were waiting for the day when the Potter boy would kill the Dark Lord and set them free and frankly it made him want to laugh. Grown men couldn't kill Voldemort. What made them think a seventeen year old whelp could?

"I don't know, brother. I think he means to lure Potter here by using her as bait. Using their connection. Whatever he's doing, he means to do it tonight."

"Have you noticed anything odd about the Malfoy boy? His behavior seems off to me."

Rabastan shook his head. "I think he realized what he had done—the betrayal of the Dark Lord- and what he had gotten himself into and wanted to quickly set things right. It would've only been a matter of time before he was found and killed for his treachery. Why do you ask?"

Rodolphus shrugged and ran a finger along his bottom lip. "Before he ran off, he was nervous most of the time and didn't have his heart in it. Now, he acts like the most confident Deatheater around here. What changed? If anything he should be even more nervous now that he's back in the Dark Lord's grasp. One wrong move," he said, making a slicing motion across his throat. His meaning was clear.

"You think he's under some sort of spell?" Rabastan asked, curiously. "The only people he's been in contact with are the mudblood and Black. And his mother," he added, remembering Narcissa had escaped as well. "Why would any of them put Draco under the Imperius and then allow themselves to be captured?"

Rodolphus shrugged again, deep in thought. "I don't know. Maybe a trap? The manor can't be breached. Getting captured is the only way in."

Rabastan wanted to laugh but he wisely kept silent. "It would do them no good."

Rodolphus caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Lavender mouth something to Pavarti. It looked a lot like a familiar name. "What did you say?" he asked sharply, watching as the girl quickly lowered her eyes and shrank back.

"Nothing, sir."

"Tell me," he demanded impatiently and she slowly looked up and took a deep breath.

"I was just thinking that if Malfoy is under a spell then most likely it was his father who put him under it. I mean, bringing back Hermione and Sirius Black would almost certainly let him back in the- Dark Lord's good graces. The entire family," she added, her voice fading into nothing as both men stared at her.

To her surprise, both men looked as if they agreed with her.

"That would make more sense than anything else," Rabastan said, eying Lavender speculatively. "What have you heard to make you think this?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, "it's just that one of the girls upstairs told me something that makes me think that Malfoy wouldn't blatantly betray Hermione."

"What is it?" he demanded.

Her mind whirled quickly trying to think if what she was about to say would harm anyone. "Well, the first night, when he was supposed to sleep with her… he didn't. And it was odd that after her first night with Lucius, when she was hurt, Malfoy brought her to his room every day—and night—for a week. I don't he did anything to her then either. I think he was trying to protect her from his father." She let out a breath anxiously wondering what would happen next.

Rabastan looked over at his brother who had a strange look in his eye. Almost like anticipation, but not quite.

"I wonder, brother, if this information might be useful to us in the future. Perhaps Lucius needs to see what it feels like to lose everything like we did. We'll see how loyal a Deatheater he is after the Dark Lord strips him of everything he holds dear."

XXXXX

Hermione woke up, her tongue thick in her mouth. It was dark inside the room and she knew that it was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord came for her. Her body ached from Avery's curses and she wondered how long she had been unconscious. Hours it seemed. At least he hadn't raped her. That would have been worse.

She sat up and looked around. She was in a cage, like an animal, with no food or water or anything that might bring her comfort. She leaned back against the corner of the cage and drew her knees up to her chest. The panic was rising and the waiting was driving her insane.

Just then the door to the adjoining room opened and a figure glided out. She squinted to see in the dim lighting but couldn't make out who it was.

"You're awake I see," the silky voice observed. She said nothing. There was silence for a few moments while the figure walked over to a decanter and poured himself a drink.

"Soon your pathetic little rebellion will be over and the world will be as it should. Witches and wizards who are worthy will no longer have to hide in the shadows like frightened children. They will take their rightful place in the new world."

Who was this man? she wondered, getting a little annoyed. He kept his face hidden from her but she suspected that it was part of some ploy to scare her even more.

"Who are you?" she asked a little tiredly and on edge.

The only response she got was a short laugh. "I am the man who decides your future."

"Only Voldemort decides my future while I'm stuck in here."

"You say his name as if you don't fear it," he told her with a slight bite to his voice.

"I never said I wasn't afraid," she shot back, "It's just—If I'm going to die, I might as well not die a coward."

He snorted and turned to face her, still partially hidden. She could make out his lower half and figured he was probably older than she was by about fifteen or twenty years. Maybe more, it was hard to tell.

"Perhaps you won't die," he suggested and she snorted.

"What else could he possibly want me for? Harry won't rise to the bait and his plans would have been for nothing. If I'm remembering correctly, he doesn't hardly keep the people who are loyal to him around. Why would he let me live after I'm of no more use to him?" Her tone was bitter, but matter of fact.

"Perhaps you are of use to him in ways that you have not yet thought of. It's true that you are not worthy to live," he continued, in an informative tone as if she were just being told this for the first time, "but, at the same time you have gotten in his way too many times. There are slower more satisfactory deaths than the Killing Curse."

She was growing angry at him. "Unless you're here to torture me, get out. I don't care about what you have to say."

He stayed silent as he took slow deliberate steps toward her cage. Inch by inch, his form was revealed to her. Long black clad legs, dark tunic with slashes of blood red showing through, and lastly, a pale, white, aristocratic face that seemed oddly familiar to her. His black hair was tied with one black ribbon, but it was his eyes that made everything click into place. Blue eyes that flashed blood red occasionally as they stared down at her.

"How?- what, this isn't possible," she stammered, the hard planes of his face unmoving.

"With my power, everything is possible," he returned coldly, straightening up. "Of course, this body is simply an illusion. To everyone else I look the way I used to before Potter sent me reeling into a formless existence."

Voldemort had managed to change his appearance into one more reminiscent of the way he used to look. Tom Riddle.

"How is it you recognize me?" he asked casually, sauntering away towards a chair. "I had all pictures and evidence of my old life destroyed almost thirty years ago."

She was too caught off guard to hold anything back. "Harry. Dumbledore showed him his memories pertaining to you and he in turn showed them to Ron and I."

This information seemed to displease Voldemort greatly. His face turned into a scowl. "I'm finally rid of that meddlesome old man, after decades of waiting."

Before she could answer him back, the clock began chiming midnight and after a second, a knock on the door sounded. Her heart flutter with fear.

"Enter," Voldemort commanded, crossing a leg.

Avery and Draco entered the room fully robed and quickly bowed before their master.

"Rise. It is time to begin." He turned his now red gaze onto Hermione.

XXXXXXXXXX

Amidst the now hoarse screams of the mudblood, he concentrated hard on Potter. On his thoughts and dreams and pathetic hopes. He knew that he was torturing the boy with his visions of what was happening to the mudblood and he smiled as best he could. The action had grown almost foreign to him.

Something in a memory or a dream caught his attention. Harry was embracing a familiar red-haired girl. He was kissing her, he realized with intrigue. Off to the side, he saw the mudblood and the bloodtraitor standing and watching with resigned amusement.

Voldemort opened his eyes and cut off the connection. He looked down at Hermione and curled his lip in a sneer. She was important to Potter, but not in the way she had told them she was. The red-head was what he truly desired, not Hermione Granger.

She had grown up. Ginny, he remembered distantly. That was her name. The girl who had almost brought him back to life five years ago. She had been so easy to use. To twist to do his bidding. Because she was good and trusting. It had been pathetic.

He wondered with a sudden renewed curiosity, how easy she would be this time. What she would do if she ever saw him again. It was a thought that wouldn't go away and he turned to the three other occupants in the room.

"That's enough. Go," he ordered and something in his eyes made them hasten their departure. He looked down at the half conscious girl on his floor.

"Mudblood," he began, "it appears as if you have not been honest with me." His words were mocking. What did he care about honesty? Nothing was hidden from him for long. Her eyes opened with some effort to look at him with dread.

"Tell me," he started conversationally, "what is Potter's relationship with Ginny Weasely?"

**A/N- Yes, I resorted to making Voldemort a tad better looking. LOL. Don't worry, this isn't turning into a Voldemort/Ginny fic. It's just a new twist.**


	26. The Useful Tools

_A day later_

"It's almost certainly a trap, Harry, but we can't just leave her there," Ron said quietly, turning his face away so that he could mask the tears that had sprang into his eyes. Harry nodded and felt awkward for a moment. He had never seen Ron cry before though he had good reason this time. He stood up and let out a frustrated growl.

"I don't understand. I saw Sirius grab her. She was with him. How did Voldemort get his hands on her again?" He paced up and down the inside of the tent that they shared. They had been on the move for days now, barely eating or sleeping, not knowing what to do.

They had been waiting for things to cool down before trying to find Hermione and Sirius. They knew the approximate location of the house Hermione told them about but without Sirius they wouldn't be able to get in. No point in going there now.

"Are you sure that he really has her?" Ron looked up at Harry hopefully and Harry turned away.

"I don't know. In my dream she was wearing normal robes, like the ones at the wedding. Malfoy was torturing her." His jaw clenched and for the hundredth time that day he sincerely regretted not finishing his enemy off during their fight in the bathroom during sixth year. She had been so sure of his newfound loyalty and for a second Harry had been swayed into believing she would be safe. He was wrong.

"It had to have been him," he spat. "He betrayed them and gave her up to that monster. I'm going to kill him."

"Not before me," Ron muttered, glaring at the ground under his feet. "If he touches her I swear…,"

He let his sentence drift off, imagining all the things he would do to Draco once he had his hands on him.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself as he heard a noise outside. To the naked eye they were invisible and he hoped the silencing charms he placed around the tent would keep them safe. Without Hermione around to cast them, he wasn't sure. He wished he had paid more attention in school. He held a finger up to his lips to signal Ron to be silent and walked as close to the tent opening as possible.

Nothing.

He waited but still he heard nothing. Maybe it was an animal, he thought.

No such luck. He heard a low voice cast a spell and the air around them shook as it tried to get through their shield.

"The Dark Lord said he'd be here. Right there!" the voice cried, and Harry heart started hammering in his chest. Ron stood up with a panicky look on his face.

"They found us. What are we going to do?"

"We have to apparate," Harry told him, looking around him. "We have to leave the tent and everything behind and get out of here."

Another voice was heard outside.

"Not the Killing Curse you fool. The Dark Lord wants him alive. Kill the bloodtraitor if you must but leave Potter intact."

Harry felt his temper rise as they casually spoke about killing his best friend. These were the bastards that had Hermione. He had to save her.

A sudden idea sprang into his mind. He motioned Ron over to him and crouched down on the ground. Ron squatted next to him and Harry pulled his cloak around their bodies. It covered them both, but just barely. He gripped his wand tightly and tried to remember back to second year. The diversion he needed was just in his grasp if he could only remember the words. It was so stupid that it just might work.

A booming noise was heard as their shield charms fell.

Harry closed his eyes, picturing the common room. Some first years were messing around in a corner, trying out a new prank. It made a loud popping sound just before creating a very ugly toad that would hop around and scare the wits out of the girls who were nearby.

He thought he remembered and hoped it would work. He whispered the spell quickly just as the legs of a Deatheater climbed through the flap. The loud popping sound was heard first and no one noticed the large green grog that appeared over by the beds.

"Damn it. Did he apparate before we could get him?" a loud voice demanded with just a touch of fear behind it. Harry smiled. He hoped they would get tortured long and hard tonight.

"He's got an invisibility cloak. It could be a trick. Give me a minute."

Spell after spell was shot around the room and Ron was unfortunate enough to get a full blast of one. His body went limp and Harry used all of his strength to hold him place. He squeezed his eyes shut as the feet came closer, stopping every now and then to kick something.

The man swore loudly. "Burn it to the ground. If they're in there they'll soon come out."

Now Harry's heart started really pounding as he quickly looked for any possible escape route. They would burned alive if he didn't move them. Ron was dead weight and impossible for him to carry without giving their position away. The cloak didn't shield them as good as it did when they were younger.

The first of the flames hit the roof of the tent and soon smoke started billowing out. How long could he hold out before going unconscious? The flames started licking the edges of the tent and Harry stood up, knowing that no one could see him yet. He grabbed the snitch, the book, and the Deluminator, all the while holding onto his cloak tightly. He shot water from his wand at every flame that came at them, but he couldn't breathe.

"Nott, there's no one in there. They would've come out by now. We need to leave and try and track him down or else the Dark Lord--,"

"I know what will happen if we come back empty handed," Nott snarled. "Where do you think he would've gone?"

"I dunno. Hogwarts? School started yesterday. Maybe he thinks someone there can help him."

A laugh. "Let's go ask Snape."

Just as Harry couldn't take anymore, he heard two loud pops echo around the forest and he grabbed Ron and dragged him through the flames into fresh air. He collapsed on the ground, breathing hard and checked Ron for any signs of injury. They were both fine, thank Merlin, but their tent wasn't. The last of the remains sank onto the ground, burning out in the grass.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked himself aloud. He thought of the first place he could think of that might not be surrounded by Deatheaters and gripped tightly onto Ron's limp hand. Shell Cottage. Bill and Fleur's new home.

XXXXX

_Hogwarts- the same time_

Ginny walked slowly down the aisle in the Great Hall for breakfast. The atmosphere was more subdued than it had ever been before. Snape watched every student from his place at the teacher's table like a hawk. Professor McGonagall did also, but hers was with the intention of protecting the students. Snape was looking for any reason to punish them, she was sure.

The only ones of her friends left that could attend Hogwarts this year was Neville and Luna. Half-bloods and muggleborns weren't allowed. The Gryffindor table was the emptiest one out of the four. The only table that remained unaffected was Slytherin.

She began eating in silence, noticing out of the corner of her eye movement at the teachers table. She looked over and narrowed her eyes in hatred as she recognized Lucius Malfoy and his son, Draco. They were standing near Snape discussing something.

As hard as she tried she couldn't hear what they were saying and Neville elbowed her discreetly.

"Now's not the time, Ginny. We'll have our revenge and thwart those bastards as much as possible, but right now we need to lay low."

She looked at her plate furiously but knew that he was right.

"Besides," he whispered, with a small grin, "I have a plan."

She smiled back conspiratorially, but a loud clap resounded just then throughout the hall. Snape was standing with his hands together looking thunderous.

"There is to be no talking during meals. Finish and get to class," he gritted out through his teeth, eyeing Ginny and Neville.

Both students wouldn't let him get the last however and for a few moments three pairs of eyes clashed wills with each other. Satisfied that he knew that they weren't just going to lay down and take it, they stood up with the rest of their classmates who had decided it was better that they leave and gathered their things for class.

"Miss Weasely."

She stopped cold and decided if she should run for it or stay and take whatever punishment was hers. Slowly she turned around, the majority of her house turning with her. Solidarity was important in these days.

Snape was standing rigidly in his black robes staring at her with an expression she couldn't decipher. "Report to my office immediately before class. The password is 'pureblood'."

Nobody moved and her eyes darted to Lucius Malfoy who was staring at her with a smug look on his face… and something else. She didn't want to know what it was and looked back at Snape. He was growing annoyed with her lack of response.

"Yes, sir." She hoped it was coincidence that the Malfoy's were here the same day that she was forced to report to the Headmaster's office. It didn't seem likely.

"Ginny, I'm going with you," Neville declared heatedly, tightening his grip on her arm.

She shook her head. "Just go to class or else they might torture you just they did Colin yesterday. Tell the professor where I am. Everything will be fine."

She clutched her books and walked toward the door where the winding stairway to Dumbledore's office was. But he wasn't there anymore, she thought sadly. He wasn't around to protect them when they needed it the most.

"Pureblood," she said woodenly and the door moved and the staircase came into view. The walk was painfully longer than any of her others had been. She had a feeling that some nasty surprise lay at the top for her. She hadn't liked the look on Lucius' face.

She stopped in front of the large door and expelled a breath. She weighed her chances of escaping the castle successfully and was seriously considering it when the door opened, revealing Snape looming in front of her.

"Come in," he ordered curtly, moving aside to let her through.

As soon as she entered and scanned the occupants of the room, her worst fears were confirmed. The Malfoy's were there, as well as two other men she recognized as teachers, but were really lesser Deatheaters assigned to Hogwarts to make sure the proper amount of Voldemort's ideals were being hammered into the brains of the children attending.

Snape didn't move to sit at his desk. Instead he moved over between her and the Malfoy's and stood rigidly, his arms at his sides.

"What am I doing here?" she asked nervously, eyeing Snape. It was Lucius who spoke.

"Your presence has been requested by the Minister of Magic. I am to escort you to him immediately."

She had never been so confused in her life. "The Minister? What does he want with me?"

Lucius shrugged. "That is not my concern. Leave your books with Professor Snape and we will be off."

She set her jaw mutinously. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm underage. The Minister can't question me without my parents present." And that wasn't going to happen.

Lucius chuckled. "Well, you are welcome to write them and invite them along."

She glared at him and hugged her books tighter to her chest. Her wand was in her robes and she didn't know if she could get to it before he disarmed her. It was five against one in here. Not in her favor. She shot a glance at Draco who up until now had said nothing. He looked odd. His eyes had a sort of blank vacant look in them. As she stared at him closely, life seemed to return and he sneered at her.

"What are looking at, Weasely?"

"A lower life form, _Malfoy_," she retorted, glaring at him. Lucius rolled his eyes at the immature display and tapped his cane.

"Enough of this. Draco, have you settled into your dorms? Good. You will be comfortable here. Remember your orders, son. Miss Weasely, I'm afraid we must leave now."

Before she could resist further, the door to the office banged open and two men of medium height strode through. She didn't recognize either.

"Nott, Yaxley, did you succeed?" Snape asked, his dark glance lingering on the door that had been so rudely flung open.

The men looked uncomfortable for a moment and shook their heads. "We found a tent, but he apparated away before we could grab him."

Her heart thudded in her chest. They were talking about Harry. She was sure of it. Her hand moved to her throat in her barely veiled excitement. He was alive.

"He will be very displeased with you, Nott. I suggest you scour the country before going back to him else you might not live to regret it."

Both newcomers shot daggers at the blonde man. "We thought we'd check in here first. See if he tried to get into the school or contact anyone." Nott's eyes shifted speculatively down to Ginny. She stared at some point on the wall and ignored him. Maybe he would go away soon. Draco was looking odd again.

Snape answered before anyone could question her. "He hasn't been here. I suggest you try closer to where he disappeared. He wouldn't have gone far."

The men exited, both sparing her narrowed intense looks before slamming the door. Before she could turn back, her books were ripped out of her arms and thrown on the floor and long thin silver ropes bound themselves around her wrists.

"What are you doing?" she cried, trying to wriggle out of them. It was no use.

Lucius sighed impatiently. "I have no time to be arguing with a schoolgirl. If you don't come peacefully, I will stun you. Snape, the Floo," he ordered curtly.

Snape didn't spare her a glance and to her side she saw green flames shooting up from the fireplace. Lucius shoved her forward with his cane and grabbed a hold of her arm.

"Malfoy Manor," he stated calmly. She gasped and tried to buck out from under his grip but he only tightened it.

She ended up in a heap on the floor, landing on her knees painfully. It was colder in this room and she shivered. Lucius' black shoes walked past her to someone who was sitting a chair in front of her.

"Well done Lucius. Was she hard to persuade?"

The voice was eerily familiar. Smooth, silky, mocking… and frightening. Where had she heard it before? It wasn't quite the same as…

"Only slightly, my lord. In the end I had to bind her arms and put her in the fireplace myself. I wanted it to be as neat as possible."

An amused chuckle. "Yes… you would. You may leave us now. Spread the word that I am not to be disturbed," he warned.

Ginny watched Lucius walk away and her view of the man who she now feared was Voldemort was unobstructed. Most of his features were in the shadows, but he didn't look like the same creature she had seen in the Ministry two years ago. She shuddered at the thought of his snake-like face.

"Ugly yes, but extremely effective for getting people to do what I want them to. Fear is the best motivator I have found, Ginny."

How did he know what she was thinking? Her mother had told her about the vile tricks he had up his sleeve. There were rumors that Voldemort could read one's thoughts. She shivered.

"Fortunately I think you'll like my new face better." Voldemort stood up and walked toward her away form the shadows and she gasped in horror. Tom Riddle's face. Almost identical to the one she remembered from her nightmares.

He laughed coldly at her expression. "Perhaps not. It makes no difference however. Tea?"

She merely stared at him dumbly. What the hell?

"You must be wondering what you are doing here," he continued, seemingly oblivious to her state of shock. He walked smoothly over to where she was still on her knees on the floor, staring up at him pale-faced and terrified.

"The other night I saw some very interesting things inside Harry Potter's head. You were one of them. I must admit that I haven't thought about you in the slightest since that night five years ago. Seeing your face however dragged those memories to the surface. All this time, thanks to your mudblood friend," he sneered, "I have been under the impression that she was more important than she actually is. In reality, it is you that he desires."

His words made her heart thud loudly in her chest. This was just what Harry was afraid of; why they broke up in the first place. He hadn't wanted her to be a pawn in Voldemort's sick plans. Now it seemed that they had been found out anyway.

"You want to use me to lure Harry here, don't you?" she asked, hating how small her voice sounded in her ears.

He looked at her speculatively for a moment and then shrugged and turned to sit back in his chair. "It really makes no difference to me anymore if I capture Harry Potter or not. If I do, excellent." His red eyes gleamed in the darkness. "If I don't," he shrugged again, "it hasn't made much of a difference so far. He obviously doesn't care about his loved ones as much as I thought he did."

She longed to set him straight and her temper rose swiftly. "Really? Then why were two of your Deatheaters at Hogwarts just now moaning about their failed mission this morning? If you don't care about Harry then why keep looking for him?" she asked angrily.

Only the change in his eyes told her that he was angry. His countenance remained the same. She had forgotten that he didn't know about the failed mission just yet and wondered if she should be glad that she had gotten two evil men in trouble or afraid for her own safety.

He cocked his head and a slow chilling smile spread across his face. Without taking his eyes off her, he drew up his sleeve to reveal his own Dark Mark across his left forearm. It was the most repulsive thing she had ever seen and she looked away angrily.

He put the tip of his wand to the mark and continued looking at her in silence. After a moment, two pops resounded throughout the room and Nott and his cohort stood shaking slightly.

"Milord," Nott began but was cut off by a hand raised in slightly in the air.

"Is there something you would like to tell me? How did things go this morning?" It was asked casually but no one was fooled for a moment. Both men shot looks at Ginny's kneeling form and began sweating.

"Milord, we had him surrounded in the forest, but," Nott halted, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"Go on," Voldemort said, motioning as if he really didn't care one way or the other how things went on their mission.

"He apparated just as we broke down his shields. We didn't think he would be able to apparate, but apparently he hadn't set up anti-apparition charms. It figures he wouldn't think of that," Nott said barely being able to muster up a sneer at Harry's youthful incompetence. He bowed his head to wait for his master's judgement.

Ginny couldn't believe that Harry wouldn't set up an anti-apparition charm. She knew that he knew how to do them. She wondered if he had used some sort of trick to lead the Deatheaters astray.

She didn't know it but Voldemort had begun watching her and a small cold smile formed on his face. He looked back at his two followers and stood up easily.

"I am extremely disappointed in your incompetence. A grown wizard, three times the age of this mere schoolboy, a schoolboy who, at best, knows only rudimentary magic, can't even complete the mission I assigned. Even knowing his exact location and having the element of surprise in your favor… you still failed."

Both men flinched noticeably.

"It seems I shall have to rethink your importance in the grand scheme of things. A Deatheater who can't even capture a young boy with no apparent magical skill is not a Deatheater at all." He looked coldly at the two men who were shaking with fear. "You're no better than a muggle it seems. You know how I feel about them, don't you?"

Without warning he flicked his wand and sent both men to the floor screaming in agony. Ginny wanted desperately to cover her ears and block out the horrible sounds but she couldn't. She squeezed her eyes shut and compressed her lips so tightly that the skin around her mouth turned white. It seemed to go on forever. She heard a soft cracking sound and realized that someone had contorted their body so tightly that a bone had snapped.

Voldemort let up and stared down with absolutely no compassion in his eyes. The men were choking and wimpering and desperately trying to stand.

"Now get out of my sight," he ordered, walking back to his chair. "I think it would be a good idea that I not see your pathetic beastly faces for at least a week. If I do, I'm not sure if I could hold myself back next time."

They scrambled to the door as fast as they could, Nott holding his side and his partner trying not to vomit. The door shut and Ginny opened her eyes, trying to breathe and forget about what she had just heard.

Voldemort chuckled. "Thank you, Ginny. If it hadn't been for you, I would never have known of the incompetency of certain followers of mine. You have proved useful already."

Ginny felt the bile rise in her throat and she forced it back down. Her face was aflame with a host of conflicting emotions and she glared up at him in disgust.

"If you were so powerful you wouldn't have needed me to tell you of their incompetency," she spat furiously, tears blinding her. "You're horrible. You're all pathetic cowards who murder innocent people who never did anything to you. You're sick," she choked, not able to stop the words spilling out of her mouth. She finished and sat shaking on the floor not really seeing anything in her rage and fear.

Voldemort regarded the young girl on the floor in front of him. His wand hand twitched for a moment but he held himself in check. She was after all merely a product of her upbringing. Raised in a family of muggle-loving filth and befriended by equally repulsive weaklings. The mind of a child was so fragile and moldable, like clay. He didn't doubt for a moment that given the right circumstances she would prove herself a hypocrite. He stood slowly and smiled when she shrank back, still not looking at him.

"Yes, Ginny, I have killed," he began, stepping toward and circling her form on the floor, "I have killed and tortured many people in my life. I have done things that would make even my most hardened followers cringe." Except maybe Bellatrix, he snorted inwardly. She was a special breed of witch, unlike any he had encountered before or since. That was why he let her think that she was his favorite. He loved knowing that he could toy with her and use her very blatant feelings for him against her whenever he wished. She would always stand beside him no matter what. Humiliating her with carefully chosen remarks always led her to double her sadistic efforts for his cause and that was, after all, all he cared about.

"But," he continued, "you have a very naïve and foolish line of thinking."

She looked up at him now slightly confused, wondering what he was getting at.

"No one is innocent, Ginny. From the time we are born we are corrupted. It is the way of life. The only thing that matters is power."

She stared back down at the floor, feeling numb after her outburst of emotion. "You're wrong. There are so many other things that are more important. You'll never convince me otherwise."

"I suppose you're referring to love?" he sneered, looking down at her. "Weak pathetic emotion that allows the person to be controlled. Take Harry Potter for instance," he continued, slyly casting her a glance. He always managed to turn things back around to suit him. "Just by keeping you here I am able to cause him great pain. Bring him to his knees without ever having to lift a finger. If he truly loved you he would never be able to stand by and leave you here."

How she hated him. At that moment she knew that there was at least one person in this world she would torture and gladly kill. Maybe Voldemort was right. Maybe no one was truly innocent.

"I hate you. I never wanted to see your face again," she spat.

"Ah, I wondered when we were going to get around to discussing our previous relationship."

"It wasn't a relationship. I was simply a naïve eleven year old who confided in the wrong person."

"It isn't me you hate," he answered coldly, "it's yourself. If you hadn't blindly told me everything I wanted to know and put your trust in a magical book then none of that would have ever happened. I was wrong to put my fate and plans in your hands. My diary would still be intact and I would have found another willing victim in time. Only my plan would have succeeded."

She set her lips in a grim line and glared at him. "It would never have worked even if you had found someone else. Harry would have stopped you, just like he always does," she added triumphantly, watching his eyes darken in anger. "He'll stop you this time too. Your pride and pitiful knowledge of true power is going to be your downfall."

For a few seconds pain ripped through her body. When it stopped, she was left gasping on the floor on her side.

"We shall see," he told her and swept away out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Tears and emotional exhaustion overtook her and within minutes all she saw was thick black darkness.

Down in the dungeons, Voldemort's tall black-clothed figure stood outside one grimy dirty barred cell.

"Mudblood, I have left you alone for long enough. It is time that your pitiful group of friends realize that no mere boy is going to save you. Certain lessons need to be learned the hard way. I've decided to simply take every bit of information your mind has to offer and be done with you. Perhaps your usefulness has run its course."

He stared down at Hermione's semi-conscious form and pointed his wand at her.

"_Legilimens._"

**A/N-I've decided to possibly change the outcome of this story. It popped into my head just now and I think I'm going to run with it. I was going to stay as true the canon as possible, but now I'm not sure… Thanks again for all the reviews. I can't answer them anymore due to time constraints but I do read every one of them. ******


	27. One By One It Seems

Hermione wasn't dead, but a large part of her wished she was. Voldemort had every intention of killing after he was finished with her that night, but something in her mind intrigued him and he kept coming back for more.

For ten consecutive nights, he came down to her cell and invaded her mind. The first time he ripped through her memories as if they were made of paper, quick, fast, and very painful. But, whatever he saw that night that had gotten his attention made him slow down the second time. He searched every corner of her mind even after she passed out from exhaustion. She had been making some progress at attempting to keep him out but it didn't really matter. She felt as she were some book that Voldemort was studying for some evil horrible plan.

She wondered if Ginny was safe. Her stomach had heaved when he had asked her to tell him about her. Had he captured her too? Was she still with her family? Or was she already here?

She couldn't worry too much about Ginny at the moment because simply worrying about herself was exhausting. Besides there was nothing she could do. By now Voldemort knew everything that was in her mind and was probably hatching some evil scheme to bring about the downfall of the wizarding world. He probably already had his followers out searching for Harry.

The dungeon door opened with a loud bang that brought an instant jolt of fear to her.

He was back.

Long black robes swirled around Voldemort's white ankles as he strode purposefully into the long corridor of cells. He stopped in front of Sirius Black's which was directly across from Andromeda's. Their cells were about two up from hers.

A cruel smile formed across Voldemort's face as he stared down at Sirius. "The time has come Sirius to fulfill the promise you made."

Four Deatheaters walked in all cloaked but their hoods were down. None that Hermione knew.

"No," she croaked, reaching a dirty hand out through the bars, "Don't."

Voldemort looked over at her and smiled. "Don't worry, Mudblood. You're coming too."

One of the men walked over and unlocked her cell, dragging her out by her hair and standing her up. He kept a firm grip on her upper arm with his wand aimed directly at the back of her head.

She looked over at Sirius who was also being dragged out and Andromeda who barely had the strength to stand, and she wanted to cry. She was so tired and her stomach felt like an empty pit. Why didn't they just kill her already?

The three of them were pushed and pulled up out of the dungeons and down the corridor leading to the audience chamber. Dread twisted in her stomach as she thought about what awaited them once they entered it.

All the Deatheaters were seated off to the sides. They rose as Voldemort entered the room and then proceeded to sit down again. She was shoved toward the front and down onto her knees as Sirius and Andromeda were pulled ahead of her to where Voldemort was standing.

Bellatrix sauntered up alongside her sister with a derisive sneer on her face and trained her wand on her. The Deatheater who led Sirius out of the dungeons kept a firm grip on his arm and stood a little to the side. From where Hermione was kneeling, she had an unobstructed view of Sirius' face. It was gaunt and hollow and full of despair.

His eyes looked over to her and her anger flared. Why didn't he just let Voldemort kill her? Was he going to spend the rest of his life making up for his mistakes toward her? This was her fault, not his. Her burden to bear.

Andromeda's eyes were dull but still held a trace of bitterness in them even as they were cast down. Her black hair was dull and the curls were limp around her face. Voldemort stood in front of the group and raised his arms so that all eyes were trained on him.

"Tonight we unite the House of Black. The years have strained the line. Too many pureblood lines have been almost obliterated while filth and scum and bloodtraitors have flourished in our world. This is the beginning of the end of all that."

He held up his wand at the pair and began the spell that would bind them in a magical marriage. Everyone was quiet until two blue wisps flew out from the wand and entwined themselves around Sirius and Andromeda. Bellatrix's face was aglow with manic glee as was her masters. The blue glow faded and then Voldemort's cold voice echoed around the chamber.

"It is done."

Tears slid down Andromeda's face and Hermione looked up at Sirius, feeling something she hadn't felt in months. A small movement made her turn her face downwards and she saw something wet on the stone floor.

It took this to make her see. She raised a hand to her face and felt the wetness covering her cheeks. The final despairing blow was dealt and she bowed her head again and let her shoulders shake with silent sobs. Flashes of memories slid through her head and now, when it was too late, she wished that she could say all the things to Sirius that some part of her had wanted to say along. Too late.

"Take them to their room and place two guards at the door day and night. No one is to enter or leave except me," Voldemort ordered as Bellatrix and a few others led the pair out of the room.

Now all the attention was on Hermione and she shivered as Voldemort's red eyes connected with her own.

"Now, Mudblood. What shall we do with you?"

Jeers and shouts went up throughout the entire room and Voldemort let them for a moment and then called for silence. He walked slowly down the shallow stairs until he was on the floor with Hermione. He paced around her kneeling form almost teasingly, like a predator to its prey.

"You have been a thorn in my side almost as great as Harry Potter, but the leniency I afforded you in the past is gone. I suppose before I kill you I should ask as a courtesy if there is anyone here who would like to keep you for their own."

Oh God, please let me just die, she begged silently, deathly afraid that someone here would speak up and torture her to death. She'd never been surrounded by so many people who hated her.

XXXXX

His hands clenched as a silent private battle waged within himself. The magic was strong and he'd only been able to overcome it once before. The consequences had been dire.

It was a fight just to move his hand of his own free will, but to speak… that was practically unheard of.

Do it, he chanted in his head. Do it.

No, no, no, no, no.

Yes, he wanted to gasp, you must save her.

Breaking free of what felt like an invisible gag, he said slowly, his voice echoing loudly, "I would."

XXXXX

Hermione jerked her head over to see Draco Malfoy's contorted face. After a moment, it smoothed into its usual lines. Her stomach sank even as her temper flared. Hadn't he done enough to her?

There rose a collective murmur throughout the room. Everyone knew that Draco had escaped with her and that he lived with her for awhile before betraying her. It was not a good idea to associate with Hermione if he wanted to live.

Voldemort let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Young Malfoy? Why should I let you have her? I think you've had far more of her than I would like to think."

Draco stepped forward but kept his eyes trained on Hermione. His face looked at her full of loathing. "Now that I have decided what is truly important in my life I wish to have her again. It would be complete."

Voldemort stared holes into Draco who immediately bowed his head and stepped back. "If you wish it, of course."

Silence filled the room as everyone wondered what he would do.

"Very well, Draco. You may keep her until I wish to dispose of her. One misstep however and I don't think I have to remind you of the consequences. Get her out of my sight," he commanded.

Two house elves instantly appeared by her side and grabbed her arms. In a flash she was in Draco Malfoy's room and then she was alone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Voldemort paced up and down his room, tapping his wand against his thigh rhythmically. He had finally decided what to do with the Weasely girl. Some things had been rearranged to fit his new plan but in the end everything was in order.

This way he could still do what he wanted with her all the while putting her to use. It had worked with Bellatrix and it would work with Ginny. It was her duty as a pureblood witch to marry well. Preferably one of his followers. This way he could make sure it happened, and with one of his most loyal.

He glanced down at the red hair fanning the carpet, where Ginny was crying and was reminded of the night in the Chamber of Secrets when he was using her life force to come back to life.

"I have decided what to do with you," he announced, stopping and shoving her firmly over with his foot. She scrambled up and backed away, her skirt sliding up her thighs indecently.

A man opened the door and walked in, one she had never seen before, and bowed before Voldemort.

"Avery, say hello to your new wife."

Ginny didn't remember anything after that and promptly fainted.

**Sorry folks for the long wait and the short chapter but this one was difficult for me for some reason. Anyway hope you liked it and the next one probably won't be as long to update. ******


	28. Seen Too Much

Sirius stared out of the window, trying not to look at Andromeda who was looking listlessly down at the carpet. They had still not consummated their marriage and it had been two days already. He just wondered how long they were going to be able to get away with it.

He sighed and tiredly turned to his 'wife' who didn't bother to look up at him. "'Dromeda, we have to figure out a way to outwit the Deatheaters. They're stupid, but not that stupid. They will wonder soon why you're not getting pregnant."

She did look up at him then. "Tell them I'm too old to bear anymore children. I'm over forty, Sirius."

He rolled his eyes impatiently. "Witches can still bear children up to fifty or sixty. And even if they buy into that story, _he_ will simply kill you and find someone else. Is that what you want?"

She didn't answer, only shrugged and it made him angry.

"Your daughter is out there somewhere with your grandchild. Don't you want to live long enough to defeat _him_ and see the baby? Be strong for Nymphadora," he urged, "She needs you, even if it's just knowing that you're still alive."

Andromeda lowered her eyes and he knew that his words had gotten through to her. After a moment she spoke. "Do you have any plans to get escape from this place?"

He gave a short bitter laugh. "I've already escaped from this place once, Drom. I doubt it will be so easy again."

"What is going on with you and Hermione, Sirius?" Her question hung in the air and made him wince.

He had no problem admitting his feelings for her to himself but to say them aloud, to his cousin no less, was going to be harder. He was past forty for Merlin's sake. Hermione was just a little girl. It was not right to have these feelings for her and he knew it. And everyone else would know it too.

He lowered his eyes and turned back to the window. "Nothing, Andromeda. Absolutely nothing."

XXXXX

Hermione cringed in a corner as Draco advanced toward her with a cruel malevolent look in his eye. She had been fending off his sexual advances for two days and nights now and she was exhausted. Everything she had been holding inside her for the last few months was coming out and it was making her emotionally unstable. She buried her head in her arms and drew her knees up toward her face, letting tears slide down her cheeks.

She was so stupid. Why had she ever trusted Draco? He had only used her and then betrayed them all in the end. Everything was her fault. Sirius had been recaptured and had only survived due to his bloodline. And poor Andromeda, she shuddered. She lost her entire family practically and was forced into marriage to her own cousin.

All for the sake of furthering the Black line, she snorted grimly with loathing for Voldemort and every single one of his followers.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Draco's voice. His black shoes were planted directly in front of her, unmoving. "Get up, Mudblood," he ordered, but she didn't move.

He reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair, jerking her up painfully and thrusting her face close to his. His sneer was painted on as his grey eyes flickered over her. After a few moments he started walking over to the bed, jerking her along with him. She knew what he was going to do to her, but this was the end, and she felt all the fight draining out of her. She had fought so long for so many months now and she just couldn't do it anymore.

He threw her onto the bed, chuckling as he did so. She just let out a tired breath and stared at a spot high on his wall. Draco began loosening the buttons around his neck, shrugging off his robes and letting them hit the floor.

"You know, Mudblood, you made it too easy to fool you."

She made no comment and he began working on the buttons at his wrists.

"But, to be fair, I wasn't completely dishonest with you." He paused as if expecting an answer or some sort of sound of disbelief, but when none came he continued. "I did want out at the time. My family was being threatened and I could feel us slipping out of the control we'd worked so hard to achieve." He dropped his shirt on the floor and stepped toward the bed.

"But, I realized that your side is wrong and the Dark Lord's is right. If my family must sacrifice itself in the process of changing the world for the better then so be it."

She could feel his weight pressing down on the mattress as he slowly climbed over her and his arrogant face came into view. She closed her eyes as his hand slid her robes up over her thighs and around her waist and then opened them in shock as the sharp sting of a slap connected with the side of her face.

"Open your eyes when I fuck you, Mudblood."

Her eyes widened as he spoke the words and her jaw dropped. That was exactly what Lucius used to say when she was with him. Draco's eyes changed for a moment and then he was back to normal.

She looked coldly at him and spoke for the first time in hours. "Taking lessons from your father, I see. It figures that you wouldn't be man enough to do anything without him."

He raised his hand quickly and slapped her again. She could taste the metallic blood in her mouth from where his ring had connected with her lip and glared back up at him. His expression froze her look in its place. Draco's face was contorted, as if he were fighting against something more powerful than himself, and it looked painful.

His eyes were frightened and sorrowful and he managed to gasp out, "Hermione," before contorting again into the same sneering expression as before.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

He slapped her again, but this time it was backed with urgency and fear and anger. "Shut up, Mudblood," he snapped, low and furious. "If you ever repeat what you just saw and heard it will be the last time that big mouth of yours says anything. You understand?"

She nodded, dumbfounded and confused. She was even more surprised when Draco slid off of her and grabbed his shirt and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

What the hell had just happened?

XXXXX

Ginny was sure that any day now Voldemort would call for her and say the spell to end her life. It would all be some horrific joke being played on her and he would laugh and then kill her. She would never get to see her family again. Never get to see Harry again.

She laughed harshly to herself. Like Harry would ever want the wife of a Deatheater. She still couldn't believe that she had been forced into marriage to one of Voldemort's most feared followers. It made her skin crawl. Fortunately, for some reason Avery hadn't touched her since they had been married. She knew it wasn't because of Voldemort. He didn't want her for himself thank Merlin. He wanted her to integrate into his world. He wanted to bring in followers of Dumbledore so that he could flaunt how helpless they really were against him.

But it still didn't answer her question as to why Avery hadn't taken advantage of the situation yet. Voldemort had told her that he expected her to bear children and that they would become future Deatheaters. That thought made her sick.

She looked up fearfully as the door opened and the object of her nightmares walked in. Avery looked every inch as cold and ruthless as he was. His eyes were so blue and piercing that they unnerved her and she couldn't stand to look into them for more than a few seconds.

He looked at her as if she were nothing more than a piece of furniture and then walked into the other room for a moment. She let out a tense shaky breath and felt the tightness coil inside her again. Whenever he was around she couldn't relax. It was as if any moment he would reach out and catch her unawares.

He walked back in and this time looked at her more fully. "My previous wife always stayed at my family estate in the country."

She was surprised that he had been married before. Had she been forced also?

"I can tell by the look on your face that you are surprised to hear this. Is it that I was married before _you_ or that any woman would willingly commit herself to me?" His eyes stared at her and she got the impression that her answer wouldn't matter to him in the least.

She set her jaw. "Both."

A small smile curved his lips and he poured himself a drink. "For future reference, the next time I walk into this room it would be wise to have a drink already poured for me."

The chilling way he said those words made her wipe the defiant look off her face to one more compliant and respectful. He sat down fluidly, never looking relaxed, but at the same time looking as if he belonged to the piece of furniture.

"I was married to her up until a few days before the Dark Lord commanded me to marry you," he continued indifferently.

She started to feel slightly sick. "How did she die?"

The blue eyes flickered to her. "The Killing Curse of course."

Ginny gasped and went pale. "You mean-…"

He nodded. "I am the most loyal of the Dark Lord's subjects. He wished to have you put to use and at the same time close by. Some of the others with wives as disposable as mine have not proven themselves capable of restraint. The only obstacle was that my wife was still living. So I had that rectified."

Ginny was horrified and terrified all at the same time. "You are disgusting and evil. Why don't you just kill me too?"

He cocked his head. "I am not sure why you are not dead. The Dark Lord wishes you not to be… for now."

She stared at him with eyes full of hate. "You will have to kill me before this is over… because I will never produce your Deatheater spawn."

Amusement made him smile, a sight which chilled her to the bone. He got up from his seat and walked slowly over to her. He looked thoughtful as his focus was drawn to her hair and with one hand he reached out to grab a lock of it gently. His actions surprised and repulsed her and she tried to draw away, but he gripped it more firmly and wound it around his hand, bending down so that their faces were almost touching.

"I won't ever have to kill you, Ginevra."

She was confused. Did that mean that they wouldn't be sleeping together? Or did he think that she would come willingly?

He smirked at her confusion and said in the same soothing tone as before, "The Dark Lord never said that you had to come to my bed willingly. Only that you come. And Ginny," he whispered mockingly, bending even farther down to her ear, "there are so many ways I could force you."

He then straightened and released her hair, leaving her shaking and pale and wishing that her friends would come and rescue her before it was too late.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lucius closed the door behind him as he entered the room where Hermione was kept and looked at her without emotion.

No one spoke and Hermione watched him warily, waiting for any sign as to why he had come. Finally, he looked at her, a little disgustedly, and waved his wand toward her. She tensed and tried to dodge whatever spell he had cast, but nothing happened except the chain around her ankle fell off. She looked at him in confused shock.

"What are you doing?" she asked nervously, still eyeing him warily.

He sneered at her and crossed his arms in derision. "My son Draco seems inordinately distracted by you. I can't have that. So from now on you will spend the majority of your time with Black." He sneered again. "That should please you both. What he sees in you I will never know."

You hypocrite, she thought, following him out of the room. "What did you do to him? I know it was something."

He stopped in the middle of the hallway and slowly turned around to stare at her. The look in his eyes told her that if he could get away with it, she would be dead soon. "There is nothing the matter with Draco, Mudblood. To suggest otherwise would prove to be very fatal for both you and possibly him. Draco does not need any further suspicion of him coming to the Dark Lord's attention. You will be able to be with your precious blood traitor. That should satisfy you."

Before he could fully turn away from her, she spoke again. "If he isn't under a spell, then why should I care if he dies? I certainly don't care if I die. One less person to be a trap for Harry."

Lucius looked furiously at her, but spoke in a low voice. "Whatever I did to my son it was for his own good. If you hadn't lured him away with your filthy lies and deceit I wouldn't have had to stoop so low. And I swear by all that I hold dear," he moved in closer to her, "if my son dies because of you, I will make you feel every inch of my wrath a thousand times over before you join him."

She was shaky but still had a spark of defiance. "Do mudbloods and purebloods even get to occupy the same space after death?"

Her tone was mocking but for some reason he simply gave her a disdainful look and turned away to lead her down to Sirius' rooms. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that she would be seeing him soon. For the first time since he was married.

That thought made her heart drop. For just a moment she had forgotten that he was now married. That they still couldn't be together.

The pain in her chest almost overwhelmed her and she had to stop for a beat. Ever since the spell had apparently been broken, her emotions were settling and the pain sometimes came in waves.

They walked for about a minute, not encountering anyone on their way, before Lucius stopped in front of a door. He didn't even knock before throwing open the door and startling the occupants inside. He jerked Hermione toward him and shoved her roughly inside, sneering at Sirius and Andromeda.

"Here. She can entertain you now, Bloodtraitor." Lucius looked down at her disgustedly before exiting the room in the same fashion as he had entered it.

Sirius rushed to her side and helped her up. "Hermione, what's happening? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why has Lucius left you here?"

Hermione looked grimly up at him and then her eyes traveled over to the door. "I've seen too much, apparently."

XXXXX


	29. Consummation

**A/N- I'm Baaaaaack! **

**I just got my Internet back and I wanted to post this before people get really mad at me. I haven't posted in awhile so this chapter might be rusty. Also I feel I must warn you that there is very mature content in this one. I wasn't sure about it after I wrote it but in the end I just decided to go with how I first envisioned it. If it sucks I'm sorry. I told you I'm out of practice. And if anything doesn't make sense let me know. **

**Also, I'm really sorry to everyone I made wait. All the reviews I kept getting really spurred me on. Thank you!**

As he stood hunched over his potions table, Severus Snape's expression didn't change but on the inside he was furious.

They had escaped. They had escaped and been recaptured due to their own stupidity. They didn't deserve his help anymore. He had Potter and the Weasely brat to attend to and he couldn't waste anymore time on Black and the Know-it-all. His lip curled into a sneer. It appeared she didn't quite know everything, did she? Otherwise, she wouldn't be back at Malfoy Manor.

And Black. He snorted. If he, Severus, had been in charge of two school children and a housewife, you could be sure that he would damn well bind and shackle them before letting them get themselves back into trouble. Incompetence. But, what could you expect from a mangy dog?

He dropped a hair into a vial of potion and watched it change colors. This was the last plan he could think of and he was only confident that it would work for Black and the Weasely girl. Hermione's fate would depend on getting her out of those chains.

The potion slowly bubbled and settled down. Now, to wait, he sighed inwardly, hoping everyone could survive that long. He bent down and put the bottle next to about a dozen others in the bottom of a very old chest that sat in the corner.

XXXXX

Ginny was sitting in a chair looking out of a window when the door opened and Avery strode in. She looked over, her long dark red hair falling to one side, and shrank back against the wall.

"The Dark Lord wishes to see you," he announced, walking over and firmly wrapping his hand around her upper arm.

It was instinct to resist out of fear. "Please, no," she begged, even as he pulled her toward the door. She even clutched his arm to try and remove his hand from her but he was too strong.

They walked quickly down the hall and stairs, him jerking her along whenever she grew too afraid and tried to resist, until finally they arrived at the door. Avery raised a hand and knocked loudly.

"Enter," a cold, high voice answered.

Avery opened the door and pushed her in front of him. Ginny looked around immediately for Voldemort but couldn't find him until he emerged from the shadows of the dimly lit room.

"Thank you, Avery. You may go now."

Avery bowed slightly and then left, without sparing a glance for Ginny. She looked after him forlornly, wishing she could go with him. The thought was incredible but even Avery was better than Voldemort.

"Ginny," he hissed sliding around her small body like a snake. His robes even touched her and she shrank away from them. He so loved seeing the look of terror on her face and knew that she had no idea what he was going to do to her. He didn't even know what he was going to do to her. But, he relished her fear. It was unlike the Mudblood's because the Mudblood was damaged now. And she, in her simple little mind, felt like she had a noble cause to fight for, something worth dying for. The equality of witches and wizards.

But, Ginny was innocent and pure and until recently had barely experienced physical peril. She had almost died by his hand when she was twelve, but that too was barely remembered due to her blackouts when she was being controlled by him. She really had no higher cause to fight for, only what had been hammered into her by her parents and Dumbledore.

There was Potter, he reminded himself, as he bored his red gaze into the back of her head. She believed herself in love with Potter, her savior, The Boy Who Lived. He snorted a hiss in derision. Potter was part of the reason he was currently obsessed with torturing the girl. Just as with the Mudblood, only this time it was different because Ginny Weasely was Pureblood.

"How are you liking your accommodations?" he asked maliciously, gliding around to face her.

Her head was turned down to the side, not looking at him and she didn't answer. She was so afraid she was shaking. He was standing so close and almost hovering over her and she couldn't think over her pounding heart. She felt how a trapped animal must feel.

He hissed a chuckle and moved away, sitting down in a chair directly in front of her. He drew out his wand and watched with sick perversion as she grew noticeably whiter.

"And how are you and Avery getting along?"

Though she was afraid, she looked up and glared at him mutinously. "He's old and insane."

"If you had been raised by any other pureblood family you have done your duty directly after leaving school by making an alignment with another pureblood. It wouldn't have mattered if was someone you liked or not."

Her chin lifted defiantly. "Then why didn't you have to do the same?"

Her question irked him. "Because I am the Dark Lord. The same rules don't apply to me."

Of course not, she silently fumed. Nothing in your twisted logic applies to you. "What do you want with me?"

"The number of pureblood witches and wizards today is disturbingly sparse. I need to use you to build it back up." This was said coldly without emotion and her face twisted into a disgusted grimace.

"I'm _glad_ I was raised by my parents," she said defiantly. "I feel sorry for the other purebloods."

He only laughed and stood back up. "Speaking of the scum you call your parents, what do you think is going to happen to them once I've killed your precious Harry Potter?"

She blinked and a tear slipped down her face. Voldemort moved closer to her with his wand still in his hand and she cried harder. "I'll kill them," she whispered through choked sobs, her hair covering her face.

Voldemort blinked. "Your family?"

She shook her head. "Any children I have with Avery. I'll kill them before I let them become Deatheaters."

He smiled a cold smile and moved his wand over his face. "Ginny, Ginny," he said, shaking his head as if she were a child who had done something bad.

His voice sounded different to her and she opened her eyes to see him crouched down in front of her. Only it wasn't him exactly. It was the face that haunted her at night. He still gave her nightmares after all these years. It was Tom Riddles face with red burning eyes.

She shrieked and fell back onto the floor, her robes flying and tangling around her legs making fast movement impossible. He laughed hard. It was an inhumane sound that seemed to resonate off the walls. He didn't bother to go after her.

"You're too scared to even look into my face. You could never kill a baby. Bellatrix could," he mused, staring at her.

Her body shook. "Bellatrix is insane and disgusting. I'm glad I'm not like her."

"You are not worthy enough," he responded, still crouched in front of her. "Bellatrix is one of my most loyal servants. You should try and emulate her."

Ginny face twisted in disgust. "Never. I would rather die."

Faster than was humanly possibly, he was on top of her half touching, half hovering. He braced himself on his forearms next to each side of her face and she screamed, thrashing around, trying to get him off of her.

Her screams and fear only excited him more and he laughed in her face until she stilled. Her chest heaved in terror at what he was going to do to her. She couldn't stop shaking and she tried to look anywhere but in his eyes.

"Are afraid of me, Ginny? Perhaps you think I'm going to rip your clothes off and rape you?" He spoke with amusement but at the same time cold indifference. His face was almost touching hers and he moved it closer just to see the fear mount in her. He took her face hard in one hand and still smiling thinly, forced her to look at him.

His eyes traveled over her face as if he were inspecting a painting or a document. "No, I'm afraid I won't be doing that tonight. But, make no mistake, Ginny, you are mine to do with whatever I wish. It's no different from when you were twelve. I know you better than anyone. Even Harry Potter. Fortunately, for you," he continued in an even tone, "I may look like my old self temporarily, but I have none of the same desires. It's a curious thing."

When he felt her body relax slightly beneath him, he smirked and bent his lips to her ear, laughing at the way she cringed. He felt the wetness of her tears but it did nothing for him emotionally. "I may not have the physical desire to fuck you but that doesn't mean that I don't want to for other reasons. Make no mistake. If you cross me or are anything less than obedient," he paused for effect, because he knew that it scared her even more, "I may decide that Avery isn't a suitable guard for you after all and I will chain you to my wall day and night. Am I understood?"

In her terror, she nodded and sucked in a breath when she felt his hand loosen on her face and slowly inch its way down to her throat.

"Please," she whispered, "let me go."

He looked at her fully and smiled. "Since it seems we understand each other, of course." He stood up and walked back to his chair, waving his wand in front of his face again. She slowly stood back up, not looking at him and left the room, feeling his mocking eyes and silent laughter at her back as she shut the door and walked quickly back to her room.

Once there she collapsed on her bed and didn't move for hours.

XXXXX

Hermione was alone in Sirius Black's room again. Voldemort kept him constantly in the company of the worst Deatheaters and Andromeda was under the 'care' of her sisters whom she hated. The only time they were in their rooms doing nothing was to sleep.

And then it was awkward. Hermione wanted Sirius so badly that it was embarrassing and he reciprocated her feelings. They both remembered the night in the cave. This made things complicated for Andromeda whom he was supposed to be impregnating. Though she herself didn't want Sirius, she knew she was the third wheel and it put her in a constant bad mood.

Hermione bent her head in her knees and allowed herself to cry. It was as if she couldn't stop and she longed once more for the cold emptiness. The ache in her chest was worse than the pervasive evil, she was sure.

"So the Mudblood cries," a silky voice sounded from above her.

She bolted up and paled when she recognized Avery standing a few feet from her. Her eyes darted to the door and saw it was shut. Her arms jerked the chains that held her to the wall but it was futile. Sirius hadn't wanted to chain her up but it was orders and he wasn't in the mood to get himself killed for something so small.

"What are you doing here? Sirius is gone," she told him, starting get a little breathless from her pounding heart.

He smiled but it never reached his eyes. Sitting down smoothly in the chair by the fireplace, he rested one arm on the small table beside him and the other he curved over the arm of the chair. "Of course," he responded, "that's why I'm here. I believe we have unfinished business, Mudblood."

She held still for the moment since he was still at a distance and just looked at him.

He decided to make small talk for some reason and droned on about how boring things have been lately and how nothing exciting has happened in about a week. She supposed that was a good thing for her and the rest of the wizarding community.

"But, I guess I should be thankful that the Dark Lord is keeping me occupied. I have suffered a loss recently. My wife was killed shortly after you and your friends were recaptured," he added, turning his ice blue gaze on her.

Hermione snorted and tried to hear if anyone was coming or not. God knows what he will do to you now, she told herself. You're of no importance anymore. No one with any power in this place will care if you are dead.

"As if anyone's death would be a loss to you, Avery," she sneered with false bravado.

He smiled thinly again and nodded. "That's true. Fortunately, she was replaced in a matter of days. The Dark Lord has a new toy that needed looked after and he deemed me the only one worthy."

Hermione was confused but sensed something awful was about to be revealed to her. There was a purpose to his visit and it wasn't good.

She tried to piece it together slowly since it seemed that's what he wanted her to do. "So your wife was killed and you remarried? What pureblood could your master possibly be interested in not killing?"

One finger slowly began traveling in small circles on the smooth surface of the dark table.

"You can't figure it out?"

Her panic was making her fearful and angry. "Who is it? Luna?" She was the first pureblood female that came to mind.

One eyebrow raised. "Luna? I don't know who that is, I'm afraid."

Shit. Now she had brought Luna to the attention of the Deatheaters.

Avery smiled again at her obvious fear and began tapping the wood this time, knowing that it unnerved her. "It's a pity. I had thought she was a friend of yours. A bloodtraitor like Black."

Her stomach clenched at the name that ran through her head. "Ginny?" she whispered, knowing from his broad smile that she was right.

"Ah, finally. I was beginning to tire of this game. Yes, Ginny is her name. We were married sometime ago. The Dark Lord wants to keep a particularly close eye on her. Especially after finding out that it is she, not you, who is Potter's whore."

So that was what Voldemort had been so interested in when invading her mind in the dungeon, she thought, biting her bottom lip. "This is all my fault."

He nodded. "If you hadn't gotten caught, the Dark Lord might have never found out your little secret and poor Ginny wouldn't be at my mercy night after night."

She couldn't stand it anymore and jerked around to stare out of the window so that she wouldn't have to face him anymore. Ginny was one more person who was hurt because of her stupidity and heedlessness. She pictured Ginny's face contorted in terror while Avery did unspeakable things to her. She knew what sick things he got off on and she couldn't stand that her friend was suffering because of her. And Harry, she thought. Poor Harry.

"If it makes you feel better," he began, his voice sounding uncomfortably close to her, "I haven't decided to consummate my marriage yet."

That was good news, she thought, but why was he telling her this? He didn't give a shit about her feelings. There had to be some horrible point.

"Of course, I will have too soon. The Dark Lord wants dear Ginny to begin producing his future loyal servants as quickly as possible. But, I suppose," he said softly, in his eerily smooth voice, "that the actual act itself could be over with quickly. After all, there's no need to draw it out, is there?"

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt lightheaded. She tried to move away but found he was standing on her chains, holding them firmly to the ground. "What do you want?" she cried, frustrated that she couldn't do anything to help her friend. "Why are you telling me this?"

His wand was out and she was pinned against the cold wall, his eyes were menacing and cold and held just the slightest bit of anger. The tip of his wand just barely touched under her jaw.

"Did you think that you would get away with it, Mudblood?" he sneered, showing emotion where usually he was reserved. It scared her more than anything to know how furious at her he really was. "Did you think that you would not be punished? You are only alive to prove to the Dark Lord that Draco has truly returned to him and will not be led astray again. I think that you only have about a week left before he rids the world of your filth."

The chilling way he spoke of her death made her cringe. Avery would know, wouldn't he? He was standing to close, crowding her and making her dizzy. "Then do it," she spat angrily, flattening her back against the wall further. "I don't care if you kill me. I'd welcome it."

He smiled again, returning to his old self. "But, what about poor Ginny? Maybe I'll just do the things to her that I want to do to you. In the end, what will it matter? You're going to die anyway."

She trembled at what he was saying. This was why he had come. If she let him do whatever he wanted to her, then he would spare Ginny the brunt of his madness. "Why would you tell me this? You could do whatever you wanted to both of us and no one would stop you."

He nodded and pressed menacingly against her, speaking almost to the top of her head. "You're right. I could. However, I will enjoy it much more if you ask me to hurt you."

It made her sick to think about what got him off. And as much as she wanted to die, there was a part of her that desperately wanted to live. But, she had to atone for her own stupidity and naivete and so she swallowed hard and looked up, still hardly able to look for too long into his eyes.

"How do I even know that you'll keep your word to not harm Ginny?"

"Oh, I'm going to hurt her," he replied smoothly, "but there's a difference between being uncomfortable and being in agony." The wand dug in harder. "And by the way, I'm only babysitting her for the Dark Lord. He's taken a special interest in Ginny. How long do you think she could last against both of us?"

She paled and sucked in a breath. "What does he want with her?"

"That's not really any of your business, or mine apparently. I grow impatient for your answer, Mudblood," he warned, pushing deeper into her throat.

She winced and grabbed his wrist, trying to ease up the pressure, but to no avail. "Yes, you can do whatever you want to me and I'll gladly take it if you spare Ginny," she cried.

His eyes narrowed and a slow cruel smile curved on his face. "I'll see you soon then," he promised. "You really should have left the country when you had the chance."

He smiled sadistically and left the room. Her trembling legs finally gave way and she sank to the floor. How would she be able to keep this from Sirius? Even if he found out there was nothing he could do about it. Nobody would care.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ginny was still on the bed when the door opened and her 'husband' walked in. He barely spared her a glance before walking over to the firewhiskey decanter and pouring himself a drink. He sipped it slowly, not wanting to become inebriated, and walked over to a chair. He placed his glass down on the table and shrugged out of his black Deatheater robes. He then began unbuttoning his tunic and placed that too over the back of the chair.

"Undress yourself and then wait for me," he commanded and smiled when he heard her sharp intake of breath. It would be a miracle if she actually obeyed him, he thought. But, that's what would make this all the more entertaining for him.

Sure enough when he was down to only his pants and turned around, she was still cowering on the bed looking at him wide eyed and pale. He simply pulled out his wand and leveled it at her and she flinched and tried to shield herself with her arms.

"When I tell you to do something, it would be in your best interest to do it immediately," he advised. "The Dark Lord has told me not to kill or seriously maim you. He said nothing of torture however."

She couldn't make herself get off the bed as frightened as she was. Tears pooled in her eyes and her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

"All you have to do is lay still. I'll do everything that needs to be done," he reasoned, trying an attempt at civility. Apparently, it didn't make her feel better because she didn't look up.

Ginny had never felt so sick in her entire life. She was physically ill from the thought of being with another man besides Harry. She had always thought that after the war they would get married and have children. Now she knew that could never be.

A hand snaked out and shoved her flat on her back effectively restraining both arms with his and he straddled her hips to keep her from bucking him off. She shrieked when he curled his fingers over the light material of her robes and tore them straight down the center of her chest.

Her pale breasts spilled out and for a moment he stopped. She was older than he had thought at first. Her body had been hidden behind loose clothing so far so he had not gotten a very close look at her until now. She struggled against him with more strength than he had given her credit for and he slapped her hard across the face to stop her.

Her struggling was making him hard and she saw a slightly wild look creep into his eyes.

"Please," she begged hysterically, over and over, "Please don't do this. Please." Only that one word fell from her lips repeatedly.

He ignored her crying and begging and ripped the last of her robes off her, leaving her exposed to him. He undid his pants and slid them off his hips a little freeing his cock from its confines. He mechanically stroked himself for a few seconds, making sure that he was hard enough, and then placed himself at her entrance.

She screamed and tried to turn over to get away but he simply hit her across the face again. She covered it with both hands, shaking in pain and fear and almost vomited when she felt something very warm touching her, prodding her.

Avery braced himself on one forearm, unconcerned with his hysterical bride, and used his free hand to keep his cock in place while he surged forward attempting to get inside. He did manage a couple centimeters, but she was so dry that he knew it would take time. At least, he figured, the blood from her first time would slick the way eventually.

She cried so hard when he pushed into her again that no sound came out. He tried to moisten his fingers and rub them against her to give some form of lubrication and then attempted to enter her again.

This time he succeeded in getting halfway and before her brain could register the pain and she could scream, he slammed his hips against her hard, breaching the barrier and making her feel like her body was being torn in two, and she clawed her stomach as though hoping to rid her body of him.

Her scream was so loud in his ear that he clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her a bit. He thrust into her without waiting for her grow accustomed to him and single-mindedly finished his task.

He heard her still crying but it was much quieter so he released her mouth and rolled onto his side, breathing deeply to calm himself. There was blood smearing his cock and dripping out from between her legs to pool on the bedspread and he mentally reminded himself to call for a house elf to clean it.

Ginny couldn't believe it was so horrible. Something was leaking out of her and she knew at least some of it had to be blood. The rest of it she didn't want to think about. The pain was so great that she thought at one point she was getting stabbed by a knife. Now it throbbed hard and fast between her legs and she pressed them together and rolled onto her side to alleviate some of the pressure.

"Now see? The worst is over," he commented, getting up to pour a glass of water. He didn't offer her any.

She felt his weight pressing once again onto the mattress and cringed, hoping that he would leave her alone. His hand trailed lightly over her upper arm and hip but she didn't move. She just wanted to block him out and pretend this wasn't happening to her.

"Now, I've given you enough time to adjust," he told her, "Roll over."

She visibly shook in fear and knew she would die if he raped her again. Her body couldn't take that much pain. He reached up to grab her arm but she jumped up and tried to run to the door. She only made it a couple feet before crying out and collapsing on the floor, clutching the space between her legs.

He stood over her in amusement, trousers slung low on his hips and uncaring. "Where exactly did you think you were going to go in your present state?" His hair that was usually so neat and combed was untidy and his eyes were gleaming.

She didn't know, but she just knew she had to get out of here. He kicked her over onto her stomach and shoved her face into the carpet. She felt him sliding over her back and bile rose to her throat.

"That's okay," he told her, whispering into her ear, "I can fuck you just as well on the floor." He gave her one long lick up her back and shoved her legs apart. It was much harder to close them in this position and she tried desperately to grab onto anything, even the carpet itself, to get away from him.

It only took him seconds to find just the right position to enter her and when he did she screamed again into the soft fibers. Her fingers closed around the leg of an end table but he was thrusting into her so hard that she could only cry in anguish.

He didn't care that she was a person with feelings. To him she was just a very tight hole for his cock to relieve itself in. He raked his fingers over her shoulder and back as he neared his completion, drawing blood. He rolled their bodies a few inches to his left so that he could run his hand over her breast, sliding the nipple between his fingers and causing her to tense in pain. His breath was hot on her upper back and he inhaled sharply and increased the tempo to almost bruising. Her body shuddered under him and he slammed against her hard twice more before shuddering lightly and emptying himself into her once more.

He stood up and left her bleeding and crying on the floor to walk to the bathroom to take a bath. He didn't forget to ward the door and windows however before leaving her sight. He called for a house elf and told it to attend to the mess that he had left on the bed and carpet and then sat back to relax in the hot water.

He would make sure the mudblood paid for his restraint tonight, he assured himself. Tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXXX

_The next night_

He had to do something. If he didn't consummate his marriage to Andromeda soon, Voldemort would find out and simply decide that it wasn't worth the effort. After he tortured them first.

He might possibly spare them, but probably under the Imperius Curse, keeping them alive only until a male child was born. Then they would be tortured and killed.

But it seemed that the only way that he was going to be with her was if he raped her. And that he could never do. What if he threatened her with it? Would she bend? He didn't think so. He ran a frustrated hand through his black hair and stood up. What was he supposed to do? He wasn't the type of person to give up, especially when there was revenge to be had. It was what kept him alive in Ahzkaban for twelve years.

Another problem was Hermione. He would never be able to perform with her in the room, and it would be demeaning to lock her in bathroom while he fucked another woman.

But, he had to do something.

"Andromeda, we have to do something," he said abruptly, "We can get piss drunk if you want, or I could Obliviate you if you prefer, but one way or another we have to do this."

Her face looked so sad that he almost reconsidered. Then to his surprise, she nodded.

"What?" he asked, scarcely believing his eyes.

Her morose face looked up at him. "I may be a _blood-traitor_, but I was put into Slytherin house for a reason, Sirius. They killed my husband, the father of my child. It's not in my nature to simply lie down and take it up the rear. We must do whatever it takes to survive and win this war. Otherwise…," her voice drifted off and she looked out of the window.

He was quiet for a moment. "We'll get them one way or another, An." He sighed and walked over to his liquor tray. "I need a drink though. This will be weird as shit."

She sighed and put all thoughts of her dead husband out of her mind and slowly began undressing. She faced the wall however and couldn't look at him. He seemed to understand and deep down was grateful to her because it made it easier for him as well.

She felt his breath against her ear and shoulder and his hands that slowly came to rest there. He left them on her shoulders for a moment to allow her time to get used to him. He slowly moved them down her arms and back up again, making soothing little circles, and felt her sort of relax.

He then bent his head very slowly to press his lips to her neck. She shook slightly as he pressed light kisses down to her shoulder in an effort to somewhat arouse her body. It would make it easier for later. Her body wouldn't be so sore in the morning.

His hands were warm as they slipped from her arms to her hips, fingers digging in slightly as he drew her back an inch to cover the space between them. She focused on a point on the wall to keep herself under control and detach her mind. She felt his hands on her but they didn't affect her as much as it would if she were completely open.

She felt his cock pressing against her lower back and for one irrational moment she hated him for enjoying this. Then she inwardly sighed. It would rather be hard to accomplish what they had agreed to do if he wasn't hard. Still, it didn't mean she had to like it.

She turned around and slid onto the bed, wanting to just get it over with. He came to her and laid still, letting her once again become used to him. His breathing had turned slightly shorter and he closed his eyes.

"Alright," she whispered hoarsely, letting him know that she was ready. He positioned himself over her and took everything slow. For some reason it seemed less terrible if the pace was slow instead of frenzied. It made him feel less like a rapist.

He only picked up the pace at the end when his body needed release. He tried to come as quietly and quickly as possible and then slid out, getting up to wipe himself off and get her something as well.

Her face was hard and controlled as she took the cloth he was offering and stood up. "Now we only have to do that again every couple weeks until…," she stopped and he quickly nodded.

They both didn't know what to say to the other and so Sirius awkwardly turned to her, not meeting her eyes. "I'm going to go to the library to… get a book."

She nodded at the ridiculous pretense, glad to be left alone.

He left the room and closed the door quickly, walking toward the staircase to the first floor. When he turned the corner he stopped in shock. Hermione was walking into Avery's bedroom with him leading her by the arm. She didn't meet his gaze.

"What the hell is this?" Sirius demanded angrily. She was supposed to be working in the kitchen today. Something Sirius had told her to do to keep her out of the room, but away from the Deatheaters. Avery's usual blank expression melted slightly into a smirk.

"The Mudblood and I have an arrangement. It's none of your concern, Black."

"Actually it is. Malfoy gave her to me." His grip tightened on his wand.

Avery's smile grew more pronounced. "I foresaw this little… difference of opinion, and so I spoke to Lucius himself about it. He gave me _permission_." His emphasis on the last word was decidedly sarcastic. "He only let you hold onto her because of his fear for Draco and her influence over him. She isn't actually yours. But let's leave it up to her, shall we?" He looked down at the top of her head, smirking.

"Its fine, Sirius. He's right. We made a deal." She still didn't meet his eyes.

He felt helpless because he knew Avery was right. Hermione didn't actually belong to him. He had no say over what happened to her and if he spoke to the Dark Lord about her again, he was sure that she would be killed.

"Hermione, I can't just let you go with him," he said, frustrated.

Avery didn't let her answer. "Well, you have no choice. Don't you have a wife to attend to?" He laughed coldly and shoved her into his room, shutting the door in Sirius Black's face.

He hated the feeling of helplessness more than any other he had ever felt. He had to let her go for now, but Andromeda was right. They had to be strong to win this war and get revenge on everyone who had ever done them wrong.

And so when he heard the first muffled sounds coming from inside the room, he simply walked away, furious and impotent. They had to get out of here soon or they would both die.


	30. Bravery or Stupidity?

Voldemort stood in the main hall, surveying his Deatheaters that were seated at a long table as if it were a conference they were attending, and paced slowly back and forth. His black robes swished against his ankles with every step.

"There will be gathering tonight," he announced suddenly, causing every eye to look up at him. "Lucius, your treacherous wife will oversee the details. Nothing big," he warned, "just dinner and then relaxation."

Lucius nodded stiffly. "Yes, milord."

"Rabastan, Avery, and Sirius," he said, sneering at the latter, who was looking sullenly at the table, "I wish for all your wives to be present." He snapped his fingers in a sudden thought. "And Rabastan, bring that pureblood slave girl that your wife _loves_ so much. I might as well put her to use also."

The men gave each other looks, silently conveying what they thought the best use for her would be.

Voldemort then swiveled his head to look at Bellatrix who was eagerly drinking in his every word. He sneered faintly. "Bellatrix, I wish you to oversee your sister and the other two. Be a mentor." He smiled, chillingly. "A harsh mentor," he added, "Attempt to instill in them those values which women today are sorely lacking. I'm sure you can imagine what I mean."

She nodded, happily. "Pureblood values in a woman." Her voice took on a huskier note at the end which he smiled at, but ignored. "I will not fail you, milord."

"I'm sure you won't. Lucius, how is Draco finding school?"

Lucius cleared his throat. "He comes home every now and then, milord, and he tells me that Snape and the Carrow's are effectively stamping down any little rebellions that crop up. The curriculum you approved of is being implemented."

He smiled and nodded. "Good, good. But, if Draco is spending most of his time at school, then who is looking after the Mudblood?" He already knew the answer, but enjoyed toying with people.

"Lucius has allowed me to torture her until you see fit to get rid of her, milord," Avery said, smoothly.

"I see. Yes, I'm sure now that Narcissa is back your ardor for the Mudblood has been dampened somewhat," Voldemort taunted, looking at Lucius with contempt. "What would she think of your extracurricular activities I wonder? Does she know that you were allowing a Mudblood to impersonate her in bed?"

The snickers that echoed off the walls humiliated Lucius and his face twisted in a grimace. "She already knows, Milord," he replied tonelessly.

Voldemort feigned shock. "And how did she come to know about such things? I can hardly believe that you told her," he said sneering.

Lucius' face twitched before responding. "The Mudblood told her."

Voldemort smiled. "How embarrassing for you."

"Yes, Milord."

The Dark Lord's smile became thinner and colder as he surveyed the other man. "Let's hope this has been a lesson learned, Lucius. Keep your cock under control to avoid unnecessary complications. Or someday perhaps I will remove it so that you can better serve me without distractions."

Lucius grew even paler and shook slightly. Nobody laughed at this comment except Bellatrix who snickered silently. "Milord, that is the reason I let Avery have her so often. I no longer have any interest in her."

Voldemort looked at him nonplussed. "Yes, Lucius, I'm sure that is the reason." He cast a glance at Avery. "And how does she like her new arrangements with you?"

He smiled. "I'm not sure, milord, I never asked. However, I have to send her back to Lucius occasionally. Her presence upsets my wife. She has feelings for the Mudblood and causes me to have to deal with her more often than necessary."

"Blood-traitor," Bellatrix muttered, concerning Ginny, and Avery smoothly turned his head to look at her.

"As I recall, so is your sister… and cousins," he replied very cordially, but the glint in his eye brightened dangerously. "In fact, it seems that most of your family is diseased."

She reddened and sneered. "_My family_," she said, in a shrill voice, "is the most noble and pureblooded of any family in the wizarding world. It's certainly better than yours."

Avery merely cocked an eyebrow unwilling to lower himself to a childish argument with a deranged woman.

Voldemort chuckled and held up a hand. Very few things amused him more than watching his followers bicker about who is more loyal to him, or whose family is purer. They were all lesser beings than him. And so easily manipulated, given their extremely ancient and enduring agenda. Sometimes the thought crossed his mind that if the Mudbloods and Half-bloods had been the ones controlling the power and money he might have easily reversed the tables. The thought of the uppity, cold, controlled purebloods running in fear from Mudbloods and Halfbloods made him almost laugh aloud.

Thankfully, though, the situations were not reversed because he really hated Muggles with a passion. The rest he could kill or use for his own means. In the end, that's all that mattered. Having all the power in the world and wielding it forever.

"Enough. Yes, Ginny Weasely may be a blood-traitor, Bellatrix, but she is young enough to be shown the true way. I hope you will be a mentor to her, guide her young mind. I believe as long as Rabastan's wife and her friend are treated well, eventually it will make no difference to them if others do not receive the same kindness. The Weasely girl however requires a firmer hand."

Bellatrix suppressed a laugh. It made her sound crazier and offended her master. "I suppose I could practice my mothering skills on the girl," she conceded, with a sly evil smile, causing choked snorts to be emitted from everyone at the table.

Voldemort's face grew deathly serious suddenly. "I will be leaving soon for a short while. I expect to be called immediately if Potter or the Weasely brat is found. Employ everything you can find to bring him in, but I _want_ him." His voice was low and threatening, implying what would happen if they didn't. "Avery, stay behind. Everyone else is dismissed."

The others got up to leave except Avery. If he was afraid he didn't show it.

"Yes, milord?" he questioned when they were alone.

Voldemort's pace slowed down as he turned to look at his servant. "How attached are you to the Mudblood?"

Avery allowed a small smile to curve his lips. "I must admit, Milord, I was deeply… angered by her false information concerning the raid as well as by her escape. I haven't yet sated my anger against her, but I will gladly give her up if you so wish, milord."

Voldemort smiled. "Good." He resumed his pacing and Avery inside felt a sliver of frustration at the prospect of having to give up the Mudblood. It wasn't the same as Lucius or Dolohov. He wasn't besotted with lust, though he did want to fuck her over and over.

No. This was a deep, deep rage that wanted to unleash itself very badly. He had been thwarted by a Mudblood schoolgirl and that knowledge combined with his unspoken shame made him want to rip her limb from limb and put her back together to do it again.

He silently inhaled through his nose until his anger was abated and nothing was left except cold control.

Voldemort stopped suddenly and turned his eyes on the other man. "By the way, send your wife to my room after the _festivities_ tonight."

XXXXX

Ginny couldn't move. Avery seemed incapable of touching her without it hurting and he had forced her again, twice. It was worse this time because he had brought Hermione in last night, right afterwards. There had been nothing she could do to help her friend as he tortured her over and over except sob silently into her pillow. Avery wouldn't allow her potions until she quit fighting him and every time she moved she would bleed.

She would never stop fighting, she vowed. Harry would save her, save them all. A tear slipped down her face as she remembered Hermione screaming in pain and Avery's smile as he did it. She wished she was strong enough to kill him and escape, but she wasn't. She was a very smart girl but not against a Deatheater. Avery would kill her before she had even fired off two curses.

She was alone for the moment. Voldemort had called a meeting that Avery had attended and she didn't know where Hermione was.

All of a sudden, she heard the door unlock and swing open. Her eyes opened and she looked up slightly from her fetal position to see Bellatrix Lestrange standing in the doorway, smiling, wand tapping against her crossed arms.

The sudden jolt of terror made her flinch and she screwed up her face in pain from the action.

"What do you want?" she asked, trembling.

Bellatrix smiled and sauntered into the room further. "The Dark Lord wishes me too educate you on the finer points of being a pureblood woman. Your education thus far has been revoltingly slack. But, what else could one expect from parents like yours? First of all," she said, surveying her with distaste, "as it is after noon, you should be up doing… _something_."

Ginny closed her eyes briefly and then opened them again. Twin spots of color appeared high on her cheeks. "I can't. I… don't feel good."

Bellatrix gave her a mocking sympathetic look. "Well, that is too bad, isn't it? The Dark Lord has ordered a party be thrown tonight and you must attend. Now get up."

Ginny eyes filled with frustrated tears. "I can't. Avery is a psychopath. It hurts too badly down there to stand up."

Bellatrix lips pursed for a moment as she realized what the girl was talking about. She knew how sore she was after a particularly good time in bed and figured that Ginny must be very sore indeed, considering she had probably had a really bad time. She drew a finger up to the bridge of her nose and told herself to be patient. Children were never her strong suit.

"First of all, your husband is not a psychopath. He is simply very single-mindedly devoted to our master, as we all are. Well, except for a couple," she muttered, thinking of Lucius and Draco and instantly beginning to seethe. They made her look bad to her Lord and all she wanted was to be good enough to please him. Their time was coming soon, she promised herself. They wouldn't take another sister down with them.

The thought of Lucius fucking that Mudblood and loving it made her blood boil and she gripped her wand tighter. Cissy was humiliated because of him. If it had been her husband carrying on like that she would have begged her Lord to let her kill him. And as for Draco… he should be honored to be the youngest of the Dark Lord's followers, but instead he was turning out to be like her cousin Regulus. Her dead cousin Regulus, she smiled viciously, before remembering Ginny and the Dark Lord's orders.

She shook her head before she got lost in her own thoughts and turned back to the girl.

"Second of all, I will give you a potion that will make you feel better and then you will follow me around all day and pay attention to everything I have to say. Is that clear?" she snapped. Her black eyes bored into Ginny's and the younger girl simply nodded in terror.

Bellatrix tried to school her face into a less stern expression, but only managed to look terrifying to Ginny. She shrugged inwardly at Ginny's frightened look. Fear would make it easier to get the girl to do what she said.

She yelled for a house elf and Daisy appeared with a pop. Bellatrix looked at her dismissively.

"Go into my room and get the potion that is in the purple bottle, third from the left, on top of my dressing table."

Ginny wondered what the hell that potion was doing so easy within reach.

Bellatrix darted a glance over at the severely pale girl on the bed. "Better get me the blue one as well. _And_ the black one," she added, and then glared at Daisy. "Hurry up about it. Then go tell the two brats in Mr. Lestrange's room to hurry up and get dressed. Get out."

Daisy smiled happily and left with another pop.

Bellatrix peered closer at Ginny and shook her head, tsking at her. "You're a mess. Hopefully you'll look better after I'm finished with you. Can't go to the Dark Lord looking like that." She turned and began roaming around the room, looking at everything and sometimes picking a random object up and peering at it oddly. Sometimes she would mutter something to herself that Ginny couldn't understand. She thought it was about Draco Malfoy but she couldn't be sure.

Ginny wanted so badly to tell her off but she was afraid that she wouldn't get the potions if she did that so she kept silent. Daisy reappeared with an armful of potions and handed them to Bellatrix then disappeared again.

She tossed them one by one onto the bed and made a motioning movement with her hand. "Hurry up and drink."

Ginny rolled over and grabbed the first potion, a purple one, and gulped it down. A warm feeling spread over her body making her feel sort of numb. Then she grabbed the black one and downed that, followed by a blue one.

Bellatrix smiled widely and tapped her wand against her cheek. "Better."

Ginny sat up cautiously and had the odd sensation of floating for a moment. "What was in them?"

"A little of this, a little of that. Some blood."

Ginny covered her mouth as if to vomit and Bellatrix rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Well, the color has returned to your pasty blood-traitor face, hasn't it?" She made a childish grimace at Ginny before turning around and striding to her wardrobe. She started grabbing things left and right and then tossing them onto the floor.

"These clothes are hideous," she muttered, "The only person with any style in this house is me." In a louder voice, she turned around to Ginny who was standing off to the side by the door. She smiled inwardly. As if a stupid child could escape her.

"Are any of these even yours? Nevermind," she said, waving a hand at her and turning back around. "Thank the Dark Lord I'm good with a wand." She laughed a bit too loudly at her comment and Ginny wondered if she had spoken about anything normal since she'd broken out of Ahzkaban.

"I'd let you wear some of mine, but blood-traitors don't get to," she spat, in a slightly higher than normal pitch. "Blood-traitors hardly even deserve to wear clothes. They're no better than a house elf. Worse than mudbloods because they _choose_ to ignore their heritage." Ginny backed away nervously at Bellatrix's vicious glare and ever rising tone of voice.

And then as soon as it had come, it was gone, and her face returned to normal. "As it is, I'll just have to transfigure some of these robes to suit you. Maybe later when you've proven yourself, I'll lend you some, but for now, _never_."

As if Ginny would ever want to wear her clothes. Who knows how many people she had killed in them? She shuddered visibly.

Bellatrix unceremoniously tossed a dress at Ginny, who was growing more afraid for her safety after her outburst, and told her to put it on. By the time she was done, Ginny looked at herself in the mirror and surprisingly wasn't horrified.

"Black. Fitting for my funeral," she said morosely, not even bothering to flinch as the black-haired woman's hands settled heavily like talons over her shoulders.

"I don't think you'll be killed tonight." And then the cackle came and Ginny winced. "Although anything's possible for Harry Potter's girlfriend."

Ginny simply glared at her in the mirror with darkly made up eyes.

"Alright come on. We've got to make another stop." She stabbed her back with her wand and prodded Ginny to the door. "More duckies to get in a row," she said in a high-pitched sing-song voice and shoved Ginny out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

The four females sat in the room simply staring at each other and the walls waiting for the cue to proceed to the Main Hall. Bellatrix stood over them, occasionally pacing back and forth and checking the clock on the wall.

Andromeda sat regally slouched, if that were possible, in the chair closest to the window, wearing a dark green dress that was ornately beaded and decorated but to Ginny it seemed slightly out of date. It didn't matter of course because it simply made her look like a princess from a story book and Ginny felt completely out of place compared to her. She looked every inch the pureblood. Even down to the distasteful sneer that marred her face every time she looked at her older sister.

Pavarti and Lavender were sitting together as usual, wearing red and blue respectively. Pavarti wasn't showing yet. She gave a small smile at something Lavender said which was the only time Ginny had seen her smile since she had been here. She was thinner and more angular as if the last few months had aged her although she _was_ still pretty. Lavender looked as though she were going to vomit soon. She was probably wondering what was going to happen to her.

Ginny was still feeling pretty high from the potions Bellatrix had given here. She had a dulled sense of reality which scared her because she wouldn't be able to have her wits about her tonight. What sort of party did Deatheaters throw anyway?

She imagined a lot of Muggle torture and lewd behavior.

Bellatrix grew impatient with trying to speed up time and seemed to turn her attention to her sister. A bored Bellatrix was never a good thing, Ginny concluded silently.

"So, dear sister, you're a Black once again. How's old Sirius been treating you?" She gave her a sly smile deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation. Andromeda didn't answer, but everyone else went silent.

"He looks like he could still give a girl a good time," she laughed, and Andromeda grimaced at the other woman's vulgarity.

Bellatrix sauntered around to her other side so that Andromeda's face was visible. "Not like that piece of filth that you've been whoring around with all these years. Mudblood trash," she sneered, "Our family goes back a millennia and you sully it by taking a Mudblood husband. Cissy and I did our duty. Happily," she spat, becoming angered by Andromeda's lack of response.

She did look up then, right in her sister's eyes. "A lot of good it did you two. I'm sure your pureblood husband was a lot of help to you in Ahzkaban. And Narcissa's husband's going to get her killed with his mania."

Bellatrix was easily distracted by the mention of Lucius. "No he isn't. He'll be taken care of soon. I won't let him drag my sister down with him. He can keep the brat. No respect for his elders, that one," she glared, thinking of Draco and how soft he was. Always trying to get out of doing something.

Andromeda chuckled coldly. "I'm sure she'll thank you for disposing of her beloved husband the way you did mine. You underestimate Narcissa's compliance. She's got an inner strength that you've never been able to see. I wouldn't try and go after her family if I were you."

Bellatrix turned her gaze once more to Andromeda. "Well, if you were me you wouldn't be in this mess. Your husband and spawn would still be alive."

Andromeda looked up sharply with a hint of fear in her eyes. "What have you done to her, Bellatrix? Where's Nymphadora?"

Bellatrix smiled tauntingly. "I don't know yet. But when I do, I'm going to give her a very long overdue hello. Diseased trees must be pruned. I hear she's mated with the werewolf and produced his progeny. I'll enjoy getting to know them as well."

Andromeda didn't even bat an eyelash but when she spoke Bellatrix paid attention. "Before I die, Bella, I'm going to kill you. And do not doubt that I can't. Do you think I've sat idle all these years? I knew one day you'd come after me."

Bellatrix laughed hysterically and leveled her wand at her sister. "And yet your poor husband is still dead."

Andromeda's lips tightened. "That's because you attacked him five to one."

She sneered and curled her lip at her. "A Mudblood will never be a match for me. One day I might just take you up on your challenge but for now the Dark Lord wants you alive." A slow smile spread across her face. "He's told me that after your child is born he will give it to me to raise in the proper way."

Andromeda's face hardened. "I can promise you that will never happen." She stood up and shook out her dress. Bellatrix smirked at the challenge.

"We'll see about that, sister."

A loud clearing of the throat alerted them to an intruder's presence. Rodolphus and Rabastan stood in the doorway dressed up like the rest of them. Pavarti refused to look her husband in the eye and pointedly tightened her lips and drilled a hole in the floor with her gaze.

"It is time," Rodolphus informed with his tired hollow voice.

He observed his wife and his sister-in-law standing head to head red-faced and furious and thought about how most people said that they could be twins. To Rodolphus, who would only ever have eyes for his wife, he thought how ridiculous that was. Andromeda had always been just a pale reflection of her older sister, more subdued, and lacking the fire and passion that had drawn him to Bellatrix when they were still just children.

She gave Andromeda one last challenging look before walking toward her husband and standing beside him. The other girls slowly stood and shuffled toward the door. Rabastan grabbed Pavarti's arm to lead her himself even though she tried to jerk away. Ginny felt the couple's eye's on her as she walked passed, still dazed and slightly numb from the potions, but she kept her eyes trained on the floor and followed the others out to the hall and down the stairs.

"What's wrong with her?" she heard Rodolphus asked Bellatrix gruffly.

"Well, the Dark Lord commanded her to attend, but when I went to her room she was about to pass out. You know Avery. So I gave her a potion." She laughed. "Well, multiple potions, actually. She's fine." She waved away his concerns with an airy hand.

A non-committal sound coming from behind her told her that he hadn't really cared, he had just been curious.

If she hadn't been so drugged up, she would have been more scared at being surrounded by dozens of Deatheaters. She wanted to stay close to the other girls but they had all made it clear that she was on her own. They had themselves to worry about. Even Andromeda looked tense, but she at least looked down at her sympathetically, before walking over to Sirius who was sitting on a sofa resignedly. A Deatheater was standing behind him as if to guard.

The steel grip of Bellatrix's hand descended over her shoulder and she shrank away from it, but to no avail.

"This way," she commanded, forcing her over to Avery and shoving her in the chair next to him. He barely acknowledged her presence, but greeted the Lestranges.

"Rodolphus, Bellatrix." He inclined his head toward them and then continued in the same bland voice. "Whatever have you given my dear wife?"

Bellatrix shrugged. "A few potions. The Dark Lord commanded me to have her ready for tonight and she was in no condition to walk." She smirked at him.

He turned his eyes to Ginny and she looked away, angrily. "I know. I left her that way."

"Whatever, Avery, you can put her back that way after the party. It's of no importance to me, but I'm not getting punished out of concern for your feelings." She very ungracefully plopped in a neighboring chair and twirled her wand while surveying the crowd.

Avery was silent for a moment and then remarked casually. "I won't be seeing much of her after the party. The Dark Lord commanded me to send her to his room after this little get together is over."

Ginny's head snapped over to him in pure terror and she saw he was looking at her in amusement. "Why?" she stammered.

"Yes, why?" Bellatrix repeated, looking her over in disdain. Rodolphus ignored them.

Avery shrugged. "He didn't impart that information to me this morning. I can only speculate."

Her heart pounded violently and she thought she was going to be sick.

"If you throw up I will torture you," Avery warned.

Bellatrix snorted disgustedly. "As a pureblood witch, you should be honored to be in the Dark Lord's presence."

These 'lessons' with her were becoming irritating, as was her voice.

"If I were a Muggle, I would feel the same way," Ginny retorted, though without her usual gusto.

They all laughed. "If you were a Muggle, you wouldn't feel anything at all because you'd be dead."

"I suppose you think you're precious boyfriend is going to defeat us, don't you?" Rabastan remarked, from beside her. Pavarti and Lavender were beside him.

She jumped because she hadn't seen him come up and bit her lip, warring between fear of them and fear of cowardice. Then she nodded. Her head was feeling heavy.

"After you've seen all this," he gestured to the room, "you still believe a mere seventeen year old boy can kill the Dark Lord?"

She somehow found a sliver of courage and stared off across the room. "I believe he has a chance."

Suddenly, Avery turned to her catching her off guard. "Why?" he asked simply, yet his eyes bored into her. Bellatrix and her husband also sat up straighter.

Ginny's heart slammed in her chest as she realized they were trying to trap her. Thankfully, Harry hadn't told her anything. But still, if they knew that he had some sort of plan, they might be able to deduce what it was. She tried to choose her words carefully and rely on them to think she was stupid.

"I—Because everyone has a weakness," she answered.

"Even that were true, the thought that Potter could discover it is ludicrous."

She couldn't help but come to Harry's defense. "It appears arrogance is yours," she snapped. "Grindelwald was defeated."

Rabastan laughed outright. "By that fool Dumbledore, who was more than his match. He was able to perform amazing magic," he conceded, to which everyone else looked uncomfortable agreeing with.

Ginny leveled her gaze at him. "Harry can also perform amazing magic."

They were all reminded of the strange things that they had seen between the Potter boy and their master, and it seemed to anger them.

"Keep your wife's mouth shut Avery before I do it for you," Bellatrix spat, glaring at her.

"Do not presume to ever tell me what to do, Lestrange," Avery said coldly, letting his anger show through slightly. Ginny trembled at the thought of what he was going to do to her later as punishment. He sat back in silence.

And then Voldemort entered.

XXXXX

Hermione was no longer sure of her place here at Malfoy Manor. Sirius no longer wanted to draw attention to their relationship lest she be killed because of it. Avery wanted her for torture, but seemed to be attempting to control Ginny and so didn't wish to keep her for his own. Draco was at school and so that left Lucius, who was uncomfortable with her around his wife. He wished nothing else than to dispose of her but was commanded not to yet.

She sat at Lucius' feet now waiting for what, she didn't know. She didn't belong on the fifth floor anymore but she was still a slave. That was the most terrifying. She didn't have a purpose anymore. People without a purpose didn't last long around Voldemort.

At least she hadn't been forced to fuck anyone yet. It wasn't because Lucius wanted her to himself. God knows, he wanted to get rid of her as fast as possible, but everyone now seemed to think she was bad for their health. No one asked for her anymore. She was grateful but she also knew that her time here was coming to an end unless someone in Voldemort's inner circle became interested in her, and fast.

She could try and lure Dolohov, but that thought disgusted her. Avery was more likely, but less able to be controlled through manipulation. Who else was there? she thought in despair.

Voldemort had told her that he would keep her after he killed Harry but that was when he thought she was more valuable than she was. Thinking in that direction led her eyes to Ginny, and waited for usual feelings of guilt to bombard her. And was surprised to see Avery looking at her speculatively.

Her face hardened and all thoughts of self-preservation flew out of her head as she remembered what he had done to her the night before. He was a very creative, sick man. And he had made Ginny watch. Hermione had been horrified by Ginny's condition but Avery had told her that it could've been much worse. And so she had let him do whatever he wanted to her and hadn't fought back.

She remembered Sirius' face as she had willingly walked into Avery's room, and unconsciously turned her head to look at him. He was already looking at her. Their eyes locked for a moment and her breath hitched in her chest. As much as she hated him, she loved and wanted him just as much. And hated herself for it.

A hand roughly jerked her head back and Lucius Malfoy's cold eyes stabbed into her. He looked over at Sirius and smirked, trying to egg the other man on.

"Lucius," Narcissa snapped in a low voice. "Leave her alone."

She looked at him disgustedly and in that instant he hated her. Everything he had ever done had been for her and Draco and they both were ungrateful wretches. He had made mistakes. He could acknowledge that privately, but how many times did he have to beg forgiveness for it? She had almost gotten them all killed because of her behavior. Did she think he wanted this? He had used Draco to retrieve Black and the mudblood and had restored their standing somewhat with the Dark Lord. At least they weren't being hunted as traitors. And when he thought back on what Draco had said he shuddered. That mudblood bitch had turned him into a blood-traitor practically. He'd had to keep him under the Imperius Curse since that day just to keep him alive.

He stared hatefully at his wife and jerked Hermione up by her hair so that she was pressed against him. "Might I remind you that you are my wife? This is my house and I will do as I damn well please. I've had enough of this," he hissed, glaring at her and dragging Hermione closer to him so that she was in an awkward position on the floor between his legs. The carpet dug in painfully at her knees and her scalp was screaming from the pressure.

"She's just a child, Lucius," Narcissa hissed, so that no one could hear them. "Are you animal?"

He glared spitefully at her and reminded Hermione a lot of Draco. "Maybe I am. But if so, it's of no concern of yours."

Narcissa's eyes filled with tears for a moment and then they disappeared and she sat back in her chair and looked away. Lucius looked down at Hermione's pained face and smiled cruelly. He dragged her up to his face that was twisted up with so many emotions that she couldn't decipher them.

"Your ridiculous obsession with Black is amusing, but don't you realize that you will never be with him? It's disgusting really. And why would he want you when everyone else has?" he whispered as angry tears filled her eyes.

She knew that Narcissa could hear them and it humiliated her. She also knew that the chuckles and snickers coming from behind her were at her expense. "Not everyone has had me," she spat out furiously, "just your family."

He shoved her back on the floor still between his legs and kept a hand tightly wound throughout her hair. "Shut up and be silent for once." His eyes went to the door at the far side of the room and she looked up to see Lord Voldemort entering and taking his seat.

Everyone went quiet for a second until he flicked his hand at them to continue and then the chatter resumed though it was guarded somewhat. His scarlet eyes scanned everything, taking it in and filing it away for the time when it would be most beneficial. Hermione couldn't help but watch him. Her life depended on him at the moment.

Unfortunately, unless you were up close you couldn't tell what he was thinking and if you were close enough to see his eyes, things were not going to go well for you.

Hermione sighed and looked down at her arms which were encased in magically fortified metal bands. They weren't like the gauntlets she had previously worn. These had chains snaking out from her wrists and leading up to Lucius' fist. She had no idea how she was going to get out of them.

Her eye caught the movement of someone walking past her line of vision and she looked up. Professor Snape stood, clad in black, above her.

"Lucius, Narcissa," he greeted, giving a polite nod. Narcissa smiled at him briefly. Lucius didn't say anything, simply nodded and looked at him expectantly.

"Draco is doing well. The other students treat him with deference due to his rank. I thought you would want to know."

"Thank you, Severus," Narcissa answered in her low voice. "I miss him terribly. I was afraid he would not fit in this year."

Lucius rolled his eyes in contempt. "Stop mothering him, Narcissa. I should have sent him to Durmstrang when he was eleven instead of allowing him to remain so close to you. He's growing soft."

He had never in her life spoken to her like this and Severus imperceptibly raised an eyebrow at his tone. Lover's quarrels were never something he wanted to get involved in. Especially since he had lost his own love. He didn't really care if anyone else had theirs or not.

"Well, I'm afraid I must be going. The Dark Lord wished to speak to me upon my arrival." Then, without sparing Hermione a glance, he walked away toward his master sitting on the raised dais.

Hermione felt let down, as if she didn't exist. She had expected some sort of recognition from her former professor but he had given her none. Just walked away.

Did you really expect him to help you? she asked herself mockingly. You escaped once only to let yourself get captured again. In the most stupid of circumstances. The dark magic had made her reckless, made her feel invincible. But she was not.

Her chains jerked her up, almost causing her to fall over. Lucius stood over her, coldly glaring down.

"Hurry up Mudblood. We're going to say hello to a few of my friends." He smirked. "I think you know them." He cast a glance over to his wife. "Are you coming?" he asked tightly and snorted when she ignored him. "Whatever," he muttered, leading Hermione away across the room.

"The Dark Lord thinks that you have an influence on me," he told her, to which she was startled to hear. "And on Draco. And he is aware of my own wife's treachery. All in all, my standing with him is extremely tenuous even though I recaptured you and Black."

She waited but he said nothing else. "Why are you telling me this? Do you think I care? I hope he kills all of you," she spat.

He jerked her chains so hard that she had to leap forward to keep from falling. His smile was cold and cruel. "Well, I have to do something with you to keep the Dark Lord interested in me. So we're going to have a little fun with you tonight."

There was people surrounding them now and grabbed her face with one hand and with deliberate roughness he kissed her. His tongue cruelly invaded her mouth and she couldn't get away from it. There were laughs and jeers from all around her but she couldn't see who they were.

And then he broke the kiss and roughly shoved her, laughing as she fell into Rodolphus Lestrange's lap. A hand snaked across her stomach and she tried to leap away from him in a panic. He quietly laughed too and she was slightly surprised because she had never seen him so much as smile.

"Get your filthy Mudblood off my husband, Lucius," Bellatrix yelled, the only one not having a good time now.

Rodolphus still laughed, though he shoved her off his lap and onto the floor. "Bella, have no fear. I would never touch this thing."

Bellatrix glared down at the form on the floor and yelled, "Crucio!"

Hermione was caught off guard and screamed as the curse wracked her body with the worst pain imaginable. She knew that before the dark magic had dulled her senses somewhat. Why had she ever wanted to get rid of it?

Everyone laughed except Pavarti, Lavender, and Ginny who was silently crying with her lips pressed together and her hands over her ears. Nobody paid her attention except Voldemort, whose red eyes flicked back and forth between Hermione on the floor and her crying in her chair. Even Avery's eyes were on the screaming girl.

Then the curse was lifted and Hermione was left breathing hard on the floor, unable to scramble away to safety. Pavarti was staring hard at the floor, willing herself to think of something else and Lavender was on Nott's lap, her face deathly white.

"You've been coddled too much since you came here," Lucius said, sneering and looking down at the half-naked girl still spasming in pain. He smiled over at Bellatrix who was still glaring at Hermione. "Bella, throw your knife down to her."

She looked up in surprise, but acquiesced. It never once occurred to her that any danger to herself could come of this. She withdrew a silver dagger and tossed it at the girl. It missed being embedded in her back by an inch.

Lucius lowered his wand and said, "Imperio."

Hermione smiled and stood up, picking the knife up as she did.

"Stab yourself," Lucius told her lazily and watched as Hermione smilingly plunged the knife into her arm. It sank in about two inches and she withdrew it with some difficulty. Dark red blood pumped out of her arm and dripped onto the floor, between her legs.

Everyone laughed.

"Her blood's not muddy at all," someone shrieked in laughter.

Lucius lifted the curse and Hermione clutched her arm and sank back onto the floor, half gasping, half sobbing in pain.

"Severus, heal her." Lucius looked at the dark man who slowly walked over with a blank look masking his face. Snape knelt down and muttered a few words and her wound closed up. Then Bellatrix cast the Cruciatus Curse on her again and her agony returned.

She screamed in pain, arching her back on the floor and thought she was going to break in half. Everyone was standing in a half circle around, spitting and kicking every inch of her body. Suddenly, from far away she heard someone yell in pain and the curse was lifted abruptly, leaving her gasping in air.

Ginny couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't listen to Hermione scream and not do something about it. She knew that she would be punished as well, but it would be worse living with herself and knowing she was a coward. Lavender and Pavarti didn't deserve to bear the Gryffindor name in her opinion.

She didn't have a wand and so when she sprang up she lashed out the old fashioned way. With her fists and knees. She made sure to avoid Avery however because she was deathly afraid of him, but she punched Lucius right in the nose causing him to howl in pain and double over. Taking advantage of the distraction, she kneed the man next to him which happened to be Rabastan Lestrange, who crumpled to the floor, face red.

Roped flew out of Bellatrix's wand and wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles making her fall over. Her furious pale face peered over her and she back handed the red head.

"How dare you intervene with that Mudblood's punishment," she yelled, grabbing her throat and digging her nails into the soft flesh. "How dare you strike your superiors you filthy bloodtraitor. When I find your family, I am going to send them to their grave in the most painful ways I can possibly imagine."

She gave her a shake and then tossed her head back onto the carpet, thoroughly disgusted. Avery's cold expressionless face came into view and she squeezed her eyes shut from the murder she saw in his eyes.

"Crucio!" he hissed, and a red light flew form his wand and hit her in the chest.

She had never felt such unimaginable pain in her life. She had thought getting raped by Avery the worst thing she had ever felt, but now she knew that there was something even worse. Even five seconds was agony.

He lifted the curse and sliced her bindings off. She scurried back to Hermione, but the other girl was still breathing heavy, trying to get her body under control again. She stared at Avery through terrified eyes and hoped that he killed her quickly. Especially if she was pregnant.

"I see your behavior hasn't improved from our time together," he said coldly, shaking his head, "That's alright. I shall double my efforts."

Tears filled her eyes. "You can't stop me from loving my friends. I will never do that."

He chuckled quietly. "Never say never, little girl." He quickly lowered his wand to curse her again, but a cold voice broke through the silence.

"Avery, bring her to me."

Avery immediately lowered his wand and grabbed her arm. He dragged her over to his master and shoved her closer. With a flick of his wand she was kneeling at Voldemort's feet. Her face was so close to his boots she could lick them.

"Severus, take the Mudblood to the dungeon. That will be her new home from now on." He waited in silence as Hermione was levitated away and then he cast his red gaze down at the girl kneeing before him.

"Ginny Weasely," he said very slowly, not using her married name, "You are very foolish. I don't tolerate foolishness in my presence." He lifted one boot clad foot to her chin and forced her to look into his face. She trembled with fear at the emptiness she saw in his eyes and tried to look away. He wouldn't let her.

"Why would you stupidly attack two of my followers knowing that you would be tortured and in the end not succeed? That is not bravery, it's idiocy."

Her breathing was uneven and rapid and she couldn't calm herself. "I… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did nothing."

"So you would rather do something that you know it futile, rather than try and save your energy to survive? I don't get it." He smiled at the room and they chuckled back. "What did they teach you at that school?"

Her face twisted bitterly. "Not how to torture people or be a coward."

"It sounds as if Dumbledore encouraged stupidity. Between you and Potter's little circle of friends there seems to be an abundance of it."

Ginny was brave enough to glare at him but brave enough to look him in the eye when she did it. "Well, we've always won haven't we?"

As soon as the words have left her mouth, she was screaming on the floor from the force of his curse. She absolutely knew that he meant it.

"Yes, you have won a few skirmishes here and there throughout the years, but who is now in control of the Ministry and by extension the magical community? Potter? I don't think so," he laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "What have your years of defiance gained you besides a few dead friends and teachers?"

"My life, for one," she glared, and then added, "Time," her stare flicking back and forth between his eyes and the center of his robes.

He leaned slightly forward, a cruel smile curving on his white face. "I have no need of time. Your precious Potter will die, very soon. _I,_ however, have all the time in the world. _He'll _get tired of running eventually and soon he'll simply abandon you. And in the end, everything you've done, everything you've suffered will have been for absolutely nothing."

His words were like blows to her chest and they echoed off the stone walls so that everyone could hear. He never took his eyes off her white face, but lowered his boot back to the ground, causing her head to wobble slightly.

He flicked his hand for the party to continue and Ginny moved to rise but his voice stopped her. "Your place is at my feet, Ginny Weasely, and until you learn it, at my feet you will remain."

She bitterly lowered herself back onto the cold steps leading up to his chair and knew her face burned in humiliation. She was on display for everyone to ridicule and even though she didn't care what a bunch Deatheaters thought, it was still embarrassing.

Avery bowed and without sparing her a glance he walked away. Her face was full of every ounce of loathing and hatred for him and if she could kill him she would.

"You don't like your husband I see?" Voldemort remarked from his seat above her. "If I were let you kill one person in this room without expecting anything in return, who would it be?"

She wanted to spit out her husband's name but she didn't. "I would choose you," she said glaring up at him.

He smiled. "You can't kill me."

She was silent for a moment and then said the name aloud. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

He cocked his head at her. "Odd choice. I would have thought you'd want to end your husband's life. You'd no longer be tormented by him."

"Yes," she said bitterly, "but I wouldn't be free, would I? I would just be available for someone else to torture. At least he has no interest in me beyond…," she fell silent, an angry grimace on her face. She hated Avery so much.

The Dark Lord knew what she had not said and smiled. "But, why Bellatrix? Has she personally offended you?"

Hatred marred her features and she didn't dare look up lest he curse her for insolence. "She is the worst of your… followers. She's the reason Neville grew up without parents. She has no redeeming qualities that a normal sane person would be able to tell of." Not to mention that she is sexually attracted to you, she thought.

"Oh, I'm not that bad," he responded, sneering at her dumbfounded expression. "Avery," he said suddenly, causing another quiet to ripple throughout the room as the man quickly walked over to him and bowed.

"Bring your wife to my room in one hour."

Avery nodded and Ginny stopped breathing, stupid tears filling up her eyes. Why couldn't she just control her emotions? Lord Voldemort looked down and smiled a predatory smile at her distress. Then he stood up and exited the room without a backward glance in her direction.

Everyone seemed to heave a collective sigh at his departure and the party returned with full force. Ginny miserably allowed herself to be led by Avery back to her chair where she sat quietly without disturbing anyone as if a prisoner awaiting her sentence.

Sirius stood immediately upon the Dark Lord's exit and took a step toward the doors to the front entrance of the room. Andromeda grabbed his arm sharply.

"You'll just make things worse for her if your caught, Sirius. She's too young and fragile."

He hesitated for only a moment before shaking her hand off him and slipping away unobtrusively down the hall toward the dungeons.


	31. In Control

**Alright, just so everyone knows, there is no way that Voldemort is going to have sex with anyone for awhile. It just wouldn't be practical. That being said, sexual tension is okay for now. Right? Haha. I moved Hermione down to the dungeons so that one person wouldn't own her anymore. It will be easier for Sirius to get to her (and Avery).**

**Just thought I'd let everyone know… I already know how I'm going to get Hermione out of there for good. It was going to be in the next chapter but then I decided that was rushing it a bit. I haven't decided who is going with her yet. It has to make sense with the story as well as the repercussions.**

**Also, just a hint for the future story. There is no way that Voldemort spent 10 nights using Legilimens on Hermione and didn't find out her deepest darkest secrets. **

**Aaaaand nothing in the story is mine.**

Hermione groaned as Snape lowered her to the cold stone floor. He had healed her broken bones and cuts but the bruises and sore muscles were still aching.

"The Dark Lord has ordered that this be your new home," he told her, watching as she sat up and leaned back against the wall with closed eyes. He looked down to her wrists and then back up at her face. "You no longer need the shackles around your arms."

She missed the thoughtful tone in his voice and groaned. "I wish I could kill Lucius. I hate his whole family." Her eyes flew open as a thought entered her mind. "Professor, I have to ask you something."

His lips tightened in annoyance. "What?" he asked irritably, staring down at her.

"How has Draco seemed since he's been back at Hogwarts?"

"Like usual."

"I think Lucius put him under the Imperius Curse." She told him about what had happened between them, and about her conversations with his father. To her surprise, Snape sneered at her.

"I have been aware for some time now that Draco was not himself. Did you think you were the only intelligent person here?"

"Sometimes," she muttered. "But, can you undo it?"

He shook his head impatiently. "Draco can fight through it if he's strong enough, which very few people are, or Lucius can take it off himself. Or it will wear off when the caster dies."

She closed her eyes in fatigue and leaned her head back against the wall. At least it was confirmed now that Draco hadn't been acting of his own accord when he betrayed them. She hadn't realized how much he meant to her before this moment. A tear slid down her cheek.

Snape closed his eyes and breathed deeply to try and regain some semblance of patience with the baggage that was weeping on the floor at his feet. He reopened them and spoke in a controlled voice.

"Miss Granger I'm working on it. When and if I find a way out of this mess I will try and let you know. But," he said in a lower tone, kneeling down close to her face, "if I find a way out for you and you go and get yourself captured again, I promise you I will use the Killing Curse on you myself."

She couldn't blame him really. She had been incredibly stupid before. "You should kill me now and be done with it," she said weakly, only half joking.

He snorted and stood up. "As much as I would like too, Miss Granger, I'm afraid that we've been ordered to keep you alive for now. The Dark Lord wants to make sure he's wrung every last drop of usefulness out of you. And I think he hasn't made up his mind whether or not he still wants to keep you to flaunt before the Order after Potter's demise. He now has a new distraction," he said quietly, looking off to the side.

Her eyes flew open and she bit her lip. "How is Ginny? Has he done anything to her?" She almost didn't want to know.

He shook his head. "Not what you're insinuating. But, Avery is particularly sadistic and I'm sure he has taken out his frustration with you on her."

She gave a short laugh. "No he hasn't. He's taken it out on me. It's my fault she got captured so I made a deal with him," she explained quietly at his silence, "I know that he has raped her, but he leaves her alone for the most part as long as I let him torture me without trying to escape or cause him trouble. He doesn't want _him_ to think that he's like Lucius."

"Is he?" he asked quickly, and looked disappointed when she shook her head. "Too bad. I could've used that. Be careful," he warned, "of all the Dark Lord's followers he is the most ruthless, the most like _him_."

"Besides, Bellatrix," she added.

Suddenly they heard footsteps and she stood up quickly. They both turned to look at the intruder and she gasped when she saw Sirius. Snape curled his lip in disgust and began walking away.

"You must have no semblance of self-preservation, Black," he muttered as Sirius ignored him and walked straight to Hermione. He disappeared up the steps and she leapt toward him. Everything else melted away and there was only the two of them in that moment.

His lips touched hers in a frenzy of need as her arms curled around his neck and he hoisted her up against the wall. His tongue battled hers almost angrily and she returned its fervor. Hermione moaned into his mouth and he pressed his long, lean body against hers so tightly that there was no space at all between them. She slipped her hands up through the bottom of his shirt to run them over the contours of his torso and down the flat plane of his stomach to the hard leather belt.

There was no time to go slow. She felt his cock pressing against her through his pants and she needed to touch it badly. Her hands went to his trousers and she undid them quickly pulling his erection out and holding the warm, smooth column in both hands. Her thumb brushed over the moisture seeping out of the head of his cock and he thrust his pelvis into her hands, trembling with need. She rubbed both hands up and down and over it, increasing her pace with every stroke and never letting her mouth stray from his.

He sucked in a breath and moaned so low she almost couldn't hear it. He broke the kiss off and turned her around so hard that she practically slammed into the wall. The pain didn't register in her mind. His lips seared across the sensitive skin of her neck. One hand massaged her breast while the other delved between her legs and stroked her with deliberate movements. She felt his cock pressing against her backside and she bucked against it almost causing him to come right there.

He held himself back through sheer force of will and roughly bent her over, placing one hand on her upper back and using the other to place himself at her entrance. She only had enough time to put both hands on the wall to brace herself before he was inside her. She moaned as he slammed into her and moved at a pace she wouldn't have thought possible. Her cries echoed off the walls, driving him on to completion. He bucked against her, digging his fingers into her hips as he came.

He only held her still for a moment before turning her around and roughly kissing her again. His hand went back to rest between her legs and she instinctively thrust her hips against his palm. He only needed to rub in small circles a couple times before she threw her head back and gave a sharp cry, her body shuddering against his.

They stood against each other breathing heavily for a few moments as they tried to regain control of their bodies.

"I missed you," he whispered, still breathless. His hand traveled down her waist to rest on her hip and she kissed the bare skin of his neck, feeling the roughness of his cheek against her face.

"Me too," she sighed, hating that reality was once again upon them. She thought of all the reasons that were preventing them from being together and her mind settled on the most petty of them. She couldn't stop herself in time.

"How's Andromeda?" She couldn't keep the touch of malice from entering her voice and he stiffened and slowly withdrew from her. Her body screamed from the loss of warmth.

He looked at her thoughtfully. "How's Avery?"

She flushed and protested. "It's not like that. I don't have a choice."

"You said that you made a deal with him."

"Because of Ginny. He promised not to hurt her more than necessary if I let him torture me. He doesn't touch me or anything."

He tried to remain calm. "Well, I don't exactly have a choice either. We'll be killed if we don't have a baby and to do that we have to fuck."

It was the bitter reality of things. He glared at her. "You expect me to believe that bastard hasn't touched you?"

She wisely didn't bring up the time when Avery had been disguised with Polyjuice Potion and shook her head. "He's not like that. And even if he were, I wouldn't enjoy it. I'm a slave. I have no choice in anything I do."

"And what do you think I'm doing to Andromeda?" he asked quietly, not looking at her. "Do you think that she wants to fuck me? Her husband was just murdered by her sister and I'm like a brother to her."

Hermione felt guilty but the thought of them together even unwillingly was too much. She couldn't stamp down the feelings of jealousy. It must have shown on her face because he bent down and kissed her again briefly.

"I'm too old for you Hermione," he groaned, keeping his face close to hers, eyes closed.

"No, your not."

"I'm no better than Malfoy or Dolohov."

"You've never raped anyone." She knew what he was about to say and cut him off. "The time in the cave doesn't count. I wanted it too."

He shook his head. "Not at first you didn't. I saw the look in your eyes. And I was so angry I didn't care. I did it anyway."

"Well, by the end I did, so what does it matter?"

He stayed silent and didn't say anything. Then he sighed and withdrew from her. "I have to go. I'll just cause you trouble if I'm caught here. I'll come back as soon as I can," he promised.

She wanted to protest but didn't. She nodded silently and he kissed her goodbye and then disappeared up the stairs. Tears blurred her vision as she sank back to the floor to wait for her fate to be decided.

XXXXX

Avery sat back in his chair and checked the clock. Thirty more minutes until his wife had to be escorted to the Dark Lord's chambers. He glanced over at her and smirked when he saw her sitting quietly and not moving. He guessed that the thought of being tortured by the Dark Lord was enough to shut anyone up, even her.

He really couldn't believe that she had physically attacked two Deatheaters in front of dozens of others. He had been so furious that he had actually seen red for a minute. Thankfully, the Dark Lord hadn't taken her actions out on him. He smirked again as he remembered her reaction to Hermione getting tortured. Maybe he could use the Mudblood to keep her under control the way he did with her friend.

He was a man who thrived on control of every situation. He loved knowing that the Mudblood willingly submitted to him in one way or another. But, he wouldn't care if she tried to run from him. He was a predator. Her struggle would excite him.

As his thoughts dwelled on Hermione, his eyes strayed to Sirius Black. Andromeda was there but the seat next to her was empty. He sat up straighter and scanned the room but didn't see him. Then, suddenly, he knew. He was down there with the Mudblood, probably fucking her.

He furiously clenched his fists together and closed his eyes to keep from taking his anger out on Ginny. His jealousy didn't stem from having inappropriate feelings for her. It simply made him furious to know that Black was doing something with her and that she was no doubt enjoying it. He didn't want her enjoying anything with anyone.

He briefly toyed with the idea of bringing this news to attention of his comrades. There was no way Black would then be able to continue what he was doing downstairs. But then, the Mudblood might be killed and he wasn't finished with her yet. And if he went down there after her, it might send the wrong message. He had purposely kept himself from fucking her but the thought of Sirius Black doing just that infuriated him and he tightened his jaw.

She probably felt safe from _that _with him. He smiled thinly and relaxed his body. Well, maybe it was time to show her how wrong she was. He wasn't a man who was ruled by his cock, but he certainly wasn't adverse to fucking. And fuck her he would, until she bled to death and begged him to kill her. He would do things to her that Lucius wouldn't have dreamt of. His breathing began to go slightly erratic.

Or maybe he should fuck his wife, her best friend, right in front of her instead. If he could brutally rape his own wife, what wouldn't he be capable of doing to her? Should he go down to her tonight?

No. It wasn't the right time for that. He might go and observe her but that would be it. Everything must be planned out carefully. Maybe he should have Sirius watch? No, he wanted to be alone with her. He smiled cruelly. Have her all to himself. He would never let her forget who she had fucked with the day she had escaped. He would torment her until the day she died which he hoped would be a long way off.

Having regained some control of himself, he checked the clock again. It was time. He stood up and pointed his wand at Ginny, who blanched at the sight of it.

"It's time. Get up," he ordered, grabbing her arm and hauling her to her feet. Everyone snickered.

"Have fun, little girl," Bellatrix said in her high-pitched voice and then laughed.

Ginny's heart pounded in fear as she was forced into close proximity to Avery. Their bodies were almost touching and it made her want to throw up.

"What's he going to do to me?" she asked fearfully, trying to keep as far away from him possible. The exit at the back of the room was the closest to Voldemort's chambers and once they were in the hall she knew that they were almost there.

He didn't bother to spare her a glance. "No one knows the Dark Lord's mind but him."

She tried to wrench her arm from out of his grasp but he was stronger than her and simply tightened his grip until she wanted to cry out. She saw the door up ahead and paled. Without thinking she kneed him in the groin and tried to runaway. He had her before she had even taken two steps. He slammed her against the wall and looked down at her with a blank expression. His cold blue eyes scared her to death.

His arm pinned her across her throat while his other hand bypassed the black lace of her dress to settle between her legs. His grip was very painful, but it was his very touch that made her so sick that she threw up on the floor. He didn't even look away from her face.

He slid his index finger inside her and watched coldly as her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Some of her vomit had gotten onto his arm but he made no move to get it off. He slowly worked his finger in and out.

"You will _never_ be able to escape me," he said, speaking slowly as if she were a dimwit, "You are mine until the Dark Lord deems otherwise. If you cross me again," he tightened his grip between her legs, "I will stake you out on the floor naked and put my entire fist inside you."

He observed her with cold inhuman detachment, still stroking her.

"Do I make myself clear?" He slowly slid his finger out and at her silence, put two in its place. She was swollen down there but thanks to Bellatrix's potions the pain was dulled. He stared at her, refusing to back down, and after a few moments, she felt a third finger press against her and gave a strangled sob.

He had managed to fit three inside her before she cried harder and nodded her head. He didn't stop.

"I'm sorry, my dear wife, I didn't hear you?"

"I understand, I'm sorry. Please," she begged, her hand clutching at Avery's arm and trying to push it away from her. He stared at her unmoving for a moment while he let his threat sink in fully and then he released her and backed away.

He waved his wand at the mess she had made without comment and then cleaned them both. He straightened himself to look presentable before knocking on the Dark Lord's door.

"Enter."

Avery made the girl walk in first and then he entered. He had barely bowed before he was dismissed.

"You may leave, Avery."

Ginny had been forced to kneel again upon arrival and now was still on the floor, in a cloud of black lace, shaking. She couldn't stop the tears that ran down her face or the sick dirty feeling inside her stomach. She wanted to claw it out of herself.

Voldemort didn't speak as he observed the crying girl on the floor before him. He had heard everything that had happened right outside his door.

He just watched her.

"Don't you wish there was something you could do to Avery for the way he's treated you?" He leaned forward and smiled maliciously. "I suppose I could torture him for you if you wanted," he offered, watching her response. "Or I could let you. If I commanded it, he wouldn't fight back."

She sniffed and he heard her breath catch in a shaky sob. "I'm not betraying Harry just so you will give me what I want. He wouldn't do it to me."

The same smile was on his face. "Who said I needed information?"

She went very still and quiet as she tried to process what he had said. What did he mean?

"What else could you want?" she asked in a small barely audible voice.

He leaned back in his chair. "Power. What I've always wanted since I was old enough to know the truth. That those who have power are the ones who decide your fate. If you held any modicum of it do you think that you would be in the position you are in now?"

She was not in the fighting mood tonight, he realized. Avery must have made her more pliable. She stayed silent, looking down at the folds of her dress, as he stood and glided silently around her.

"If Harry Potter returned your affection at all, don't you think he would have tried to rescue you by now?"

"He does love me," she told him, "and he thinks I'm at Hogwarts. Even if he did know where I am, there are more important things than saving me."

"Like what?" he mocked, staring down at her. He resumed his pace.

"Like killing you," she retorted angrily. She cringed as she expected to be hit or cursed, but neither came.

He shook his head, clearly enjoying where this conversation was leading. "Ginny, Ginny. Still the same trusting little girl you were when you were doing my bidding five years ago."

She hated him so much she could taste it.

"But, as I've already told you, I cannot be killed. If I could be, don't you think that I would have died the night that the Potters did?" He spread his arms out wide. "And yet here I stand."

Yes, it confused her because his words made sense, but she knew that Harry wouldn't have told her he had a plan unless he had one. Voldemort's overconfidence was going to be his undoing.

"You look confused and so I shall enlighten you. I know what Harry's plan is to kill me. And thanks to that meddlesome fool Dumbledore, had I not found out it probably would have succeeded." Shock was written all over her face at his admission. "So now tomorrow, I will be going away for a little bit to secure my immortality. Among other things."

He crouched down close to her. "And you can rest here safe in the knowledge that Harry Potter will never win and will never rescue you. And that it could be years before he finds that out."

Her face went white and she told herself that he was lying.

"If you feel the need to confirm my words, ask the Mudblood downstairs in the dungeons. Who was it that he trusted with his plans instead of you? Who do you think provided me with all the information I need to thwart him? Naturally, the girl that he has always loved more than you."

She knew he was trying to get under her skin and manipulate her.

"It was you yourself who told me how jealous you were of them, how they were always together but shut you out. Don't you remember? Or have things changed so drastically since then?" he asked mockingly.

It was true that sometimes she had resented the other girls place beside Harry where she had always wanted to be, but she had worked that out during the past few years. She knew that he had only broken up with her because he wanted to keep her safe. Hermione had been his best friend since they were first years and she would never change that.

After this was all over, they would be together and everything would be as it should be. Except that he had just told her that he knew of Harry's plans and was going to stop them. She bit her lip. What was she supposed to do?

"Hermione told you about Harry's plans?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, the _Mudblood_ told me. How do you think I found about you? You're here because of her. You're suffering daily because of her." His red eyes gleamed in the darkened room.

"If she told you it was because she had no choice. You were probably torturing her. I might have done the same thing."

"Really? Do you think so?" He smirked and cocked his head. One pale hand withdrew his wand from his robes and aimed it at her. "Let's find out shall we?"

She widened her eyes in terror and looked at the door. Could she make it before he cursed her? She didn't think so and besides her stupid body seemed frozen on the floor.

"Where are Remus Lupin and his wife hiding?"

She gaped at him. "Wh-what?"

"Where is that werewolf and his half breed wife hiding? I owe them a visit," he smiled.

"I don't know," she said in a small voice. But, she had broken the rules and listened in on one of the Order's meetings and had overheard Lupin say that they were going underground in Scotland until the time came for war. He was no longer useful to the Order.

The curse hit her before she knew it and she screamed on the floor, every muscle tense and rigid with pain. He only left it on a few seconds, but it was enough. He didn't want her going insane like the Longbottom's.

"Try again."

She looked at him desperately. "Mum said I was too young to join the meetings. She wouldn't even let Harry in. I don't know what they talked about."

He cursed her again.

"I know that you're lying."

"Please," she begged, "I don't know. I'm only sixteen. I'm not a member yet."

He smiled coldly. "Would you tell me if you did know?"

"I would never tell you anything," she spat with false bravery, flinching at the curse she knew was going to hit her.

Voldemort kept it on her longer this time, wanting her to really feel his anger at her resistance. She writhed on the floor in agony, her dark red hair and pale skin the only spot of color around her. He released her from the curse and she laid in a shuddering heap on the floor, trying to breathe evenly.

"Oh Ginny, there are so many other curses I could use on you." His white face stretched with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "This one for example makes you hallucinate your worst nightmares." He flicked his wand, interested in knowing if it was him she feared the most.

Ginny looked around worriedly, not seeing anything threatening at the moment. She blinked and when she reopened her eyes, she was no longer in Voldemort's room. She was back in the Chamber of Secrets. She slapped her hands on floor in cofusion trying to see if it was real.

He had said she would hallucinate, but had he transported her back here instead? Was this real or in her head? Off to the side she saw a small dark book that recognized as the diary that had plagued her during her first year of school. She looked around once more and then cautiously stood up and shook her dress out. She walked over and picked it up gingerly, afraid that it would somehow hurt her again.

Nothing happened and she looked around for a way out. Suddenly there were two figures in the distance and she walked over to them, nervously. A very young Harry Potter was lying unmoving on the floor while Tom Riddle stood over him triumphantly.

"Harry?" she asked fearfully.

Tom's eyes turned on her and he smiled spitefully. "He's dead, Ginny. I've killed him."

"No," she shook her and rubbed her eyes, "you're not real. Harry killed you. He killed your diary. This isn't real," she told herself, looking around.

Tom looked at her with cold eyes. "Oh this is very real. Would you like to see all the children you helped kill?" He waved his hand and all the bodies of the children who had been petrified lined up next to them.

"They're simply petrified. I remember," she shouted angrily, though their wide unblinking eyes looked very much dead.

Riddle laughed. "But, just think how easily you could've killed them."

Just then, from out of a very large opening in the wall, a huge snake slithered onto the floor, hissing at her. "The Basilisk," she murmured and it opened its mouth as if to bite her.

She shrieked and tried to turn to run but was once more facing Tom and a dead Harry. Each time she turned around the room readjusted itself. There was no escape.

Tom hissed something in Parsletongue to the snake and it slowly slithered over to the deathly still bodies. It began swallowing the first one and she screamed and leapt at Tom who shoved her away from him and onto the floor.

His face relaxed and every trace of malice and evil fled from his eyes as he walked slowly over to her. "You know, Miss Weasely," he began in a shockingly friendly, normal tone, "you're a lot prettier than I remember. You've grown up."

Her eyes widened at him in utter confusion as the basilisk, in the background, devoured her friends one by one. Tom smoothly blocked her view from it as he crouched down beside her, every ounce of concern dripping from his expression.

"I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?" he asked, peering close into her face. He was so handsome, she realized. Like an angel. One long pale finger pushed a strand of hair away from her face and around the curve of her ear

He slid his hand into hers and she relaxed. "It's just a scratch," she said, in a voice that didn't sound like her own. She lifted a hand to his cheek and barely grazed it with her fingertips. "Why was I ever afraid of you?" she wondered and he smiled.

"I have no idea. Everybody loves me. Including you." He looked seriously at her. "Deep down you know it's true."

She sucked in a breath and leaned toward him. "It _is_ true," she agreed in a whisper. His eyes dropped to her lips for a moment and he leaned in slowly.

_Flash!_

Everything disappeared before her eyes and she blinked. She looked around and saw that she was still in Voldemort's room on the floor. Her hand was held out as if she were still touching Tom Riddle's cheek. There was no basilisk and her friends weren't dead. And the false feelings she had just felt for Riddle a moment ago were gone too.

And she was furious. Voldemort still sat in his chair with his wand pointed at her, though his grip was slack and his arm relaxed. He was sneering at her. Rage like she had never known before boiled up inside her and she yelled in frustration. She picked up a vase on a table nearby and hurled it at the wall. It shattered into hundreds of pieces.

"I hate you," she yelled. "I've hated you since I first met you. You ruined my life."

"That's not true. I remember you writing about how much you loved me. How I was your best friend and the only one who understood you. You practically gave me your soul, Ginny."

"Because you were sucking it out of me." She stomped her foot in fury, her dark red hair wild around her white face.

He flicked his wand and she was on the floor screaming again. "Now let's get back on track. I still want to know where Remus Lupin is."

She stayed silent. He cursed her again and this time her whole body erupted in blue flames. She screamed and writhed on the floor, trying to put them out, but nothing would. Just as she started seeing darkness, he mercifully extinguished them.

"Please," she whimpered, "I don't know anything. I don't know anything." She repeated it over and over but he wouldn't stop.

"I happen to know that you're lying. Imperio." he said and she looked up at him and smiled, moving the dark red hair away from her face.

Her body felt like it was completely taken over by someone else. She had no control of anything, even her facial expressions. She looked up at Voldemort and felt herself smile at him. His face was void of any expression.

"You see Ginny. I have complete control over you. I can make you do whatever I want and there's nothing you can do about it." His red eyes bored into her but she still smiled at him. "Come here."

She began to stand up but he stopped her.

"On your knees."

"Anything to please you, Master," she heard herself purr, was humiliated to know that she was crawling on hands and knees to his feet. She bent her head to his feet and began to kiss them as she would a lover.

"I want only to serve you in whatever way I can. I never loved Harry Potter. He's just a boy. Why would I want _him_ when I could be here with you?" She was breathless and single-mindedly lifted her face from his boots and ran her hands up to his thighs as if he were the most amazing thing she had ever seen.

He smiled then. "I could keep you like this forever. Parade you in front of the entire world. Make you do things that would make your skin crawl. Come closer," he ordered, watching her obey and relishing every ounce of power he held over her.

She looked adoringly at him while she slithered up the chair to lean close. "Anything," she breathed, in absolute captivation. "Whatever you want."

"I want you to take my wand and go to the dungeon and kill your friend."

She nodded happily and reached for his wand. "That Mudblood? I would kill my whole family if it would please you."

"It would," he replied and reached one long white finger up to her cheek. She felt like she could die happy in that moment. Inside she was sick and panicking. Would he make her do it? Kill her family?

His eyes locked onto hers. "I know that you're in there somewhere," he said, scraping his nail along her cheekbone, "watching this and hating every moment of it. Wondering what I'm going to make you do next." He grabbed her hand and slowly slid it up his leg toward his cock. After a few seconds, he let her go and smirked.

He observed her upturned face, eyes looking at him in a way that she never would have had she not been under a spell. Her skin was pale and flawless. Her bone structure was delicate and finely sculpted. Her attractiveness could rival that of any witch or Muggle alive and yet, as he stared at her, he felt nothing except the rush of power of knowing she was his puppet.

He wondered if that would change upon his return or if he was simply to evil to feel ordinary emotions. "Go back and kneel on the floor like a good girl."

She stood up and walked back to her spot before getting on both knees and bowing her head. Only then did he release her from the curse. She brought her hands to her face and cried.

"Next time I might just make you kill someone. Tell me what I want to know."

She stopped crying and sniffed into her hand. "They have a baby."

"That's never stopped me before, Ginny. Tell me." His smooth voice tried to persuade her and she was so tired she couldn't fight anymore.

"Scotland," she whispered, "Somewhere in Scotland."

Voldemort smiled triumphantly at her. "I always win, Ginny. If you remember that, you just might survive to see the new wizarding world."

XXXXX

After leaving the Dark Lord's chambers, Avery walked with purpose straight to the entrance of the dungeons and stopped to listen. There were low sounds. Quietly, he made his way down the stone steps until he came to the lower entrance. He saw immediately that his assumptions before had been correct and fought down the furious anger and that rose up at the sight of them.

It appeared that he had caught the tail end of their disgusting little tryst. The Mudblood's hands were splayed upon the stone wall while her body was bent over, a light sheen of sweat covered her, catching the dim light. Black was furiously thrusting into her from behind and his hands were all over her body. Avery, angrily, took note of that for some reason. Suddenly, he jerked into her and emptied himself, the only sounds in the room being his rough uneven breathing and her struggle to keep her cries under control.

Avery looked down at himself and realized, with disgust, that he was incredibly hard. It didn't really turn him on watching people fuck. It only aroused him to watch _her_ get used in such a way. It had been the same during her first time with Lucius. He had watched Lucius come inside her and, if he were very painfully honest with himself, the sight of it slowing running down her legs made him want to grab her and fuck her.

And so he had left the room. He didn't like not being in control of himself, wanting someone like that. Especially a Mudblood like her.

And now it was the same. He angrily swallowed and closed his eyes, seeing and thinking only black empty space. His cock obeyed.

When he opened them, the Mudblood was now turned around in the midst of release with Black's hand between her legs. She gave one sharp cry and slumped against him, into his chest. There were some quiet murmurs and then Black backed away, putting his cock back into his pants.

She had said something to anger him.

"How's Avery?" he asked quietly and Avery was startled for a split second that they were talking about him.

"It's not like that," she said in protestation, "I have no choice."

Ah, he smiled smugly. That bloodtraitor was jealous of him. Probably because he knew Avery was better. Less pathetic. _Except she _is_ a Mudblood_, a voice reminded him. He frowned.

"You said you had made a deal with him."

She looked down. "Because of Ginny…" something about torture "He doesn't touch me or anything."

So he was right. She thought that he didn't want that from her. He smiled coldly as they continued speaking in low voices. Images of what he was going to do to her flashed through his mind. He shifted uncomfortably, getting aroused once more.

"He's not like that… I wouldn't enjoy it if her were. I'm a slave. I have no choice."

"…Andromeda…"

His anger spiked again at her words and he could admit to himself for just a split second that his pride was slightly wounded. Then he banished that knowledge and returned his attention. He watched Black say something and then leaned in to kiss her, apparently appeased by her lies.

He clenched his jaw. The one thing Avery wanted to see above all else was Sirius Black's face as he watched that fucking Mudblood he loved so much ride his enemy's cock until her face twisted with the pleasure that one could only achieve during orgasm. He had feelings and that meant they could be hurt.

And then Black would know that she had only used him. That she was nothing but a Mudblood whore.

Or, he thought sneering, at least that would be what that bloodtraitor would _think_.

**Well, well, well. Hermione's free of her chains. **** Don't worry, Avery's not suddenly going to fall in love with her. I'm not even sure psychopaths are capable of love. He has a tiny little seed of obsession that has been growing for awhile due to being so angry with her and now its his anger that's making it slightly more uncontrollable. But he is also physically attracted to her.**

**Lucius is pissed off and tired of his wife making him feel guilty. He's sick of trying to control himself around her, but he still loves her. She however is realizing that he will never change.**

**Voldemort is also not falling in love with Ginny. In my story, in the Chamber of Secrets, he had to confide in her to a point to get her to trust him and give something of herself back. She loved him and considered him to be her best friend at some point. He would've understood the embarrassment of not having any money and wearing second hand things.**

**She is the only person he has ever done this with and he didn't expect her to live to remember it. Whereas before he wanted Hermione to flaunt, now he realizes that Ginny is even better because she is pure-blood. There are more possibilities. She is linked to him in some way. And of course the more he thinks about it, the more he likes the idea of being able to possibly turn her to his side instead of Harry's.**

**And if you haven't noticed Voldemort is definitely an obsessive personality.**

**As always I do have a direction I'm going with this, though it may seem I'm just writing aimlessly. The ending is definitely not solidified yet and it may not be the one that everyone wants. Just a heads up. Luv ya!**

**PS- also I don't know how long its going to take to get to the end.**


	32. Purposeful Direction

**Alright guys. Just a heads up, there is a part in here that might gross you guys out but hopefully not too bad. Just a warning. LOL. **

**Also, for those of you who've put on your Author alert list, don't worry- I've started a new story based off of an obsession I have with Charmed (TV), but I'm definitely not going to get sidetracked form this. I just had to get it down.**

Hermione had been in the dungeon for about a week now and Sirius had only managed to come see her once since the first night. She _had_ been graced with other visitors however, such as Dolohov and Mulciber. She had deduced through various bits of information dropped that Voldemort was gone from the manor for the time being and because of that the Deatheaters were more relaxed and not on their 'best' behavior.

One of her most frequent visitors was Bellatrix. The woman hated her more than usual for some reason. Her face had been furious as she had cursed her yesterday.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing to block out the pain in her ribs. The one person who usually healed her had left. Snape was back at Hogwarts and would be until Voldemort returned. No one knew the reason for his sudden departure and Hermione was deathly afraid that it had something to do with the Horcrux's. If he knew about the horcrux's being in danger then he would move them and all would be lost.

She let a tear slip from a closed lid. How could he not know after ravaging her mind for over a week?

All she could do was pray that Harry could somehow 'see' and find a way to stop him.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs and she opened her eyes slowly to see who it was.

Her heart leapt to her throat and she tried to sit up.

"Sirius," she breathed, hoarsely, "I've missed you."

His face contorted with anger at her tortured state and he went to his knees to try and heal her.

"Who the hell did this to you?" he seethed, waving his wand over her ribs. He only just barely knew how to mend broken bones. The rest would just have to heal on its own.

She winced as the spells worked. "Your dear, cousin Bellatrix. She's really furious with me about something. She's been down here almost every day."

He grimaced and pulled her onto his lap. "It's because of Narcissa. She feels like Lucius humiliated her sister and put her life in jeopardy by his actions regarding you. To Bellatrix, things are the exact same as they were before she was imprisoned. She's the protective older sister and _Cissy_ needs to be protected. She doesn't realize that Narcissa doesn't particularly like or love her anymore, nor does she want her around, especially in her house."

Hermione was completely shocked by his assessment of his cousins. He laughed as he saw her face.

"Andromeda married and had Tonks a few years before the Dark Lord fell. Bellatrix had an opportunity to kill her but she didn't. Even now, in her own sick twisted way she wants to bring An into the fold and have their little family together again."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I think it has more to do with her wanting the Black family name restored to its former glory than sisterly love."

Sirius chuckled and kissed her neck. "You're partly right, Hermione." The light in his eyes faded into something cold. "The only one missing is Regulus."

Hermione shivered inwardly at the dead look in his eyes and slipped a hand behind his neck, brushing away his long black hair. "Come on," she whispered into his ear, "Don't think about him. Think about me."

He snorted very lightly at her and then sighed. He ran a calloused hand up her bare arm and over the ties to her scanty top. He undid the strings and let the piece of material flutter to the floor leaving her bare breasts exposed.

They didn't bother getting up this time. She simply got onto her knees and pulled him into a kiss, moaning as he lightly stroked her. She unbuttoned his shirt this time and pressed her skin against his, relishing the way his cock grew harder through his pants. When she rubbed lightly, he brought his hand down to clutch himself briefly before sliding her bottoms off.

One finger slid between her thighs, which she willingly parted more, and began stroking her, rubbing circles in the growing slick wetness. She tried to press his hand closer to her but he playfully slapped her away.

He broke the kiss off and looked at her with dark, desire laden eyes. "Stand up," he ordered hoarsely, running his hands over her bare thighs.

She complied but gave him a questioning look. She was even more surprised when he stayed on his knees before her. "What are you going to do?"

He didn't answer and kept his gaze focused on the exposed skin between her legs. He could see moisture glistening off her and his stomach tightened with desire. "Come here," he said thickly, helping her out by gently pulling her legs until she was standing with his mouth close to her.

She sucked in a breath as she realized what he was going to do to her, but she didn't back away. He leaned in closer and kissed her. The sight of his dark head between her thighs gently kissing her where no one had ever done so before was almost enough to cause her to come immediately.

He drew back his head and remained focused, using his fingers to spread her wider and she unconsciously widened her stance. He opened his mouth and pressed against her slick skin, kissing her like he would if it were her mouth. She couldn't look away from him. Every movement he made was so erotic. She watched the way the muscles in his jaw worked as he licked and kissed her and she ran a hand through his hair, pressing his face closer. His rough cheek scraped her thigh and it sent shivers down her spine.

He moaned against her and reached both hands around her body to slide over her rear. His fingers kneaded the flesh, sometimes spreading her so that she was exposed back_ there_ as well. He furiously moved against her, delving his tongue inside her and out until she couldn't hold out anymore. He held her firmly in place, keeping his tongue pressed against her core throughout her release until her shuddering body came to rest limply against his head.

He didn't say a word, but stood up and kissed her hard on the mouth forcing her taste herself. It was so dirty that it aroused her once again and her hand moved down to his throbbing erection that so badly needed release. She made quick work of his belt and buttons and pulled it out, sliding her hand up the length of it twice before he hoisted her up and slammed her down hard.

He was almost there. His face was set in tight lines that she knew to be the sign he was about to come and she moved his hips even faster against his.

Suddenly, a voice from a figure they hadn't even seen or heard enter echoed over by the lower entrance. Sirius wanted to curse something as Hermione quickly slid down from him and backed away with wide eyes. Their perfect idyllic moment was over as Bellatrix gave them a wicked smile and sauntered closer.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Though she was smiling and looking back and forth between them, Hermione knew nothing good was going to come of this.

Sirius ran a frustrated hand through is hair and tried to keep his erratic behavior under control. With her wand pointed at him however he didn't even chance putting his cock away. It was still hard and glistening off the light coming through the tiny window high on the wall.

"It seems I've interrupted you before you were finished," she said smiling at Sirius, and then swinging her head around to look at Hermione. She eyed her back warily.

Bellatrix's eyes swung down to rest on her cousin's cock and she then pointed her wand at Hermione and listened as her screams echoed off the walls. Sirius angrily started forward to grab her but stepped back as the wand went to his throat. Hermione gasped for air on the stone floor.

"A Mudblood and a Bloodtraitor," she taunted, "How fitting."

"Bellatrix, leave us alone," he gritted out, not liking how close the thing he cherished the most in the world was to her wand. Or hand.

Guiltily, he thought about Hermione. He didn't like how close _she_ was to Bella's wand either.

His back hit the wall and he kept his hands up so that she didn't get excited and curse one of them. "What do you want?" he asked, in a neutral tone. "We were kinda busy so if you don't mind…"

Her black eyes snapped to his and though she was angry, there was some mirth in there. This only meant that she was about to do something that would cause someone else pain. Her wand lowered and went back to settle on Hermione who hadn't moved from her place on the floor.

"Actually, I do mind," she retorted, "It's disgusting that you're letting this Mudblood touch you. Do you really think I intend to leave so that you can continue this display? You're sinking to Lucius' or Antonin's level now, Sirius."

He clenched his jaw, painfully aware how hard his dick still was especially with the heightened tension in the room. He shrugged angrily and went to step forward. "Fine, I'll finish fucking her in front of you."

Hermione's eyes widened with incredulity as she saw him step forward with narrowed eyes. Would he really take her right here with that disgusting woman watching?

She didn't find out however because Bellatrix cut him off with her hand and straightened her arm out toward Hermione. He stopped furiously and glared down at her sly face.

"I don't think so, Sirius. Your little fuck session with the Mudblood is over for now, but," she added with a smile he wanted to slap off, "I don't want to leave you in such a state of…" she looked down and her breath quickened imperceptibly, "Well, in such a state."

Her wand was back at his throat in a flash and he stepped back against the wall, tightening his lips. His face burned as her hand slipped around his cock and worked slowly up and down its length. Hermione gave a strangled gasp and widened her eyes.

"Oh my God! What are you doing?" she asked in a disgusted voice.

Bellatrix's arm kept moving, her pace quickening, as she looked over her shoulder at the girl on the floor. "I'm not doing anything he couldn't stop right now." She turned her face back to him, tension knotting in her stomach. "Isn't that right, Sirius? One word from you and I'll stop. You can take the curse instead."

He couldn't speak. She was bringing him so close to release that it was torture. His face was scarlet with anger, but his body was trembling with need. She disgusted him and he hated her, but he couldn't stop himself from thrusting into her hand.

"Sirius," came Hermione's anguished cry. What she was seeing was making her sick. He looked at her with glazed eyes and he was truly sorry he couldn't stop. Bellatrix's wand dug into his neck harder.

Her hands worked furiously. She was going to make him come whether he wanted her to or not. Her own body betrayed her as her breath hitched in her throat and she felt something wet slick her palm. She turned back to look at Hermione with scorn.

"It seems that he does want it after all."

He knew it was coming and that he wouldn't be able to stop it, but he tried. Oh, did he try. But it was no use. His breathing stopped and he spurted his seed into her hand, closing his eyes and jerking against her until his body went limp. Her hand was still clasped around him as his senses returned and he realized the full horror of what had just happened.

His eyes flew to Hermione's and he saw her sickened face. "Hermione, please, I didn't mean to. I didn't want to. Forgive me, please," he beseeched her.

Bellatrix stepped away and shrilly laughed. She fluffed out her skirt and smiled wickedly at Hermione. Her eyes purposely went down to the black lace clothing her legs and Hermione's unwillingly followed. Some of Sirius had gotten on her when he came and Hermione covered her mouth in horror.

"Oh, he wanted to alright," she laughed and Sirius furiously swung around and backhanded her across the face. She didn't even lose balance and slapped him right back, taunting him to do more with her eyes. "Come on, I would love a little post-coital cursing."

He gave a strangled sound and lunged at her which she easily side-stepped. Her shrill laughter bounced off the walls and stairs as she skipped up them, slamming the door at the top.

Hermione was frozen on the floor in disgust and humiliation. Sirius rushed to her but she shrank back angrily. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

He stepped back. "She had her wand at my throat. What did you expect me to do?" he shouted.

She looked up at him with her lip curled. "Take the curse instead," she said quietly.

His face was red with embarrassment and anger and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Her hand was on my cock. I couldn't help it," he yelled, trying to make her see his point of view.

"How many times do you think I've been cursed before I gave in?" she asked, standing to walk over to her clothes. She slipped her bottoms and top on before turning away from him.

"I was too close to release, Hermione. She took advantage of me."

"But, you liked it."

"And you haven't?" he tossed back sarcastically, regretting it instantly when he saw her face tighten. "Hermione, I can't help that my body was out of control. It's not as if I love her. I hate her. You're the only one I want, ever."

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks and she was glad her back was turned. "I just can't deal with this right now. Go away."

"Don't you see that this is what she wants?" he shouted angrily, stomping toward the exit. "That was her plan from the moment she saw us together. You just let her win."

And then he took the stairs two at a time and was gone from her sight. She slid down the wall and buried her face in her hands, trying to erase the memory of what Bellatrix did.

XXXXX

Harry bolted upright, a thick sheen of sweat covering his chest. He stepped onto the cold wood floor and walked quickly down to Ron's room, shaking him awake.

"Wha-?" Ron said sleepily, looking around in confusion.

Harry's lips pressed together in a thin line and his whole body was shaking in anger and frustration. "Ron, he knows."

Ron still had no idea what his friend was talking about. "Who knows what?"

Harry clenched his fists and forced himself to calm down. "He knows that we're looking for horcruxes. He's flying around as we speak collecting them up. So far he's only got the cup of Hufflepuff. He's on his way now to Hogwarts to get another one. Something about a diadem."

Ron was pale and fully alert now, sitting up in the bed. "Okay, but there's still the locket. He doesn't know about the locket right? The real one I mean?"

Harry bit his lip and shook his head. "He knows that it's missing from the cave, but I don't think he knows that Regulus took it. Unfortunately, we don't know where it is either."

Ron was mentally counting holding up fingers as he did so. "Diary, locket, diadem, cup, snake, ring. The ring's detstroyed right? So is the diary and the locket's missing so he can't protect that one. Think about it, Harry. Sure he's just made it a little harder for us to get at them, but he's also gone and done the legwork for us too."

Harry was completely confused. "What the hell are you talking about? Our chance to kill him is gone."

Ron gave him an encouraging smile. "Harry, he's just gone and made the game a little harder, that's all. The worst part of all this was not knowing what he would've made a horcrux out of. Now we know what they look like and maybe you'll get a dream about where he's hiding them too."

Harry slumped over. "Thanks Ron. I know that you're just trying to cheer me up."

Ron sighed and leaned back. "If only we knew what we could use to kill them once we do get a hold of them. You're sure Dumbledore didn't tell you what he killed that ring with?"

Harry shook his head. "I never thought he would die. I always figured there'd be time to ask him things. I guess he did too," he added quietly, looking away at the wall across the room.

"I wish Hermione were here."

Harry silently echoed that sentiment. "I just don't know what to do. Should I keep trying to find the horcruxes? Or should I concentrate on trying to find a way into Malfoy Manor? How can I just leave her there?"

Ron's face was red with anger. "I'm going to kill those bastards when I get the chance. Especially Malfoy," he seethed, "Dirty bastard. I'll rip his head off."

Harry clenched his fists and punched the bed next to Ron's legs. "I hate this."

Ron sat up straighter. "Harry," he said tiredly, "You-know-who's already on to us. He's out there right now getting these things."

"What's your point Ron?"

"Well, if he's out _there_, then that means that he's _not_ at Malfoy's. What better opportunity are we going to get than now?"

Harry gaped at him, and then turned thoughtful. "You want us to break into Deatheater headquarters and rescue Hermione right under the nose of everyone who is trying to kill us?"

Ron hesitated for a second then firmly nodded.

Harry smiled, feeling exhilarated at the thought of finally having a plan. "I love it. I can't stand sitting by while she's tortured." He turned serious and his smile faded as he looked over at the door. "We have to tell Bill and Fleur about the horcruxes so that if we're killed they at least know what to do and can tell the others."

Ron nodded and leaned back exhaling an anxious breath. "I guess there's no use in going back to sleep. Let's go to the kitchen and start planning this."

Harry stopped mid-stride and gave him a crazy look. "Plan something? You?"

Ron punched him in the arm as they walked out of the room. "I would never risk Hermione's life and everything we've worked for the past seven years by running off half-cocked. When this is all over, Hermione and I…" he drifted off in silence and Harry patted his back.

"I know," he said quietly, thinking of Ginny. "I'm with you on that one."

XXXXXXXXXX

Voldemort's previous rage had ebbed somewhat with the collection of his last horcrux. The halls of Hogwarts hadn't changed at all since his days there. He glided over the floors making his way to the room that held the last object he needed. There were no children in sight, not that he would've cared, but he didn't want his followers learning where he had been lest it arouse their suspicion.

They were too stupid to figure out what he was doing anyway. The wall up ahead was where he needed to go and he came to a standstill in front of it, thinking hard about what he needed it to become. A door materialized in front of him and he opened it, wading through the centuries old stuff students and professors had wanted to hide. Most of it looked ancient and he knew that he must have been only wizard in a long time to have found this room.

He stopped when he saw the tiara. His eyes glowed like red coals as he slid one finger under the edge of it and lifted it from off the wig. Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. He took it and slid it into his robes, turning without bothering to look at anything else. He had no choice now that Potter had found out what he had done. He was forced to keep them as close to himself as possible.

That meant Malfoy Manor. Would they be safe there? Lucius Malfoy had carelessly gotten one of his horcruxes killed already and the locket and ring were missing. Damn Dumbledore, he silently raged, wishing he had killed him himself.

Instead of slipping out of Hogwarts undetected as was his plan, he decided to take a detour to the Headmaster's office. It was time to have a little chat with a certain dead headmaster's portrait.

He bypassed the password and flew up the stairs to the door to the room. It didn't even occur to him to knock before entering. Hogwarts was his now.

Snape was quite shaken at first to see him which was amusing since he rarely was. He bowed quickly. "Milord, to what do I owe this great-,"

Voldemort held up a hand. "Leave me."

Snape was caught off guard momentarily but nodded and walked quickly out of the room. With a sneer, Voldemort turned and strode over to Dumbledore's large portrait. The eyes were tinged with sadness.

"You've lost, old man," Voldemort jeered, "I know that you've destroyed three horcruxes, but I have the rest right here. My soul is safe once again and Harry Potter, your great hope for the future, has failed. I only have to find and kill him to end your little rebellion."

Dumbledore looked at him seriously with hands clasped on his lap. "You will never win Tom. You've so utterly destroyed yourself that even if you live on forever you will have lost."

Voldemort sneered. What the hell did that even mean? Was he senile? "You always were too weak to see the greatness I've achieved. I've thought about ripping your portrait from the wall and setting fire to it, but I've decided that I want you to see what happens to your precious Harry Potter when I find him. To everyone who opposes me."

Dumbledore looked at him sadly. "Harry is stronger than you think, Tom."

"That name no longer holds any meaning for me. It never did."

"Nevertheless it is your true name."

Voldemort's smile was terrifying. "Do you know who I have within my grasp as we speak?"

The older man stayed quiet.

"Perhaps you remember her. Little Ginny Weasley… all grown up. She feels the exact opposite." His eyes laughed cruelly at him.

"Ginny only feels that way because you are the epitome of evil to her. You're everything that is vile in this world. I, on the other hand, remember you as the little eleven year old boy sitting in his room the day I came to give you your letter."

"And now I am so much more. There is no one alive who rivals me and once Potter is dead there will be no one left to challenge me."

He turned and smiled at the room. "If you tell Severus anything we've discussed, I'll know and I'll kill him. Though maybe you wish him dead," he said slyly, turning back to look at him. "Would the great and noble Albus Dumbledore ever wish that on someone?"

"What Severus did, he did for his own reasons. I have lived long. It was my time to go."

Voldemort had the urge to roll his eyes at Dumbledore's enduring forgiveness and belief that love conquers all. He walked away toward the door and was halted by the old man's voice.

"Lord Voldemort."

He didn't turn around but cocked his head to the side waiting for his next words.

"This is a war of grown witches and wizards. Will you let Ginny and Hermione go? Will you release the children?"

Voldemort pasted a sadistic smile on his face and slowly turned around. "They are far from innocent children, old man."

"Because you have made them so."

"The Mudblood is too smart for her own good. Either I'll kill her soon or I'll bring her closer to me, seduce her with the Dark Arts. And then she'll have no choice but to serve me until she dies."

Dumbledore kept his voice and expression neutral. "That will never work, Tom. But what about Ginny? What could you possibly want with her?"

His lips curved. "Ah, Ginny. We have history between us, her and I. I will never let her go."

"But, why? You cannot love. To humiliate and enrage Harry until he slips up and exposes himself to you?"

Voldemort cast him a careless glance. "Because I wish it. She is under my complete control. Once I have broken her, like a horse, then I will mold her into whatever I desire. One day she will kill and then it will be complete."

"It's not murder if it's self defense."

"Oh, this will be pure unadulterated vengeance and nothing more. Either way, I will win in the end."

He left the room and Dumbledore looked down sadly. "You've already lost and you don't even know it."

XXXXX

Harry bolted upright, covered in sweat once more.

"Ginny," he whispered fearfully into the darkness.

**Alright, so I can safely say that Hermione's is going to get rescued in the next chapter or so. Unless you guys want to keep her here longer? And I promise I won't have her get recaptured and sent back to the Manor just for gratuitous sex. She can have that anywhere right? –wink-**

**Anyways I feel like her time here is drawing to a close and if she doesn't get to Harry and Ron fast they will be stuck in hiding forever. I haven't forgotten that she can do wandless magic but since she's so limited it hasn't been necessary to put it in the story so far. Maybe Avery will catch her practicing soon.**

**Ha Ha! How mad is he going to be when she escapes again?**

**I like that I've made Ron a tad smarter in my story, and cautious. It doesn't strike me as realistic that he would go charging into Malfoy Manor just to lose and be killed. He's still going to be hotheaded, but he'll at least try and control himself. Although he doesn't know that Ginny's been captured yet. Hmmmmm.**

**I was going to have Draco escape as well, but I think I'm going to leave that up to his mother to get him out of that one. As long as he's Imperius'ed he's safe. Thankfully she finally realizes Lucius' true nature and is sick of it.**

**Are you guys wanting me to hurry the story up? I can try if you want but it will be rushed. Let me know. Like always thanks and luv ya!**


	33. Final Escape

**AN- Sorry, this took me longer than usual because there are so many different parts in it. Also I only proofread this twice. I usually like to do three or four times for a chap this long but I'm kind of sick so I'm just putting it out.**

Hermione slid against the stone wall frustrated that she was still trapped in the dungeon. Amazingly enough, it wasn't _just_ that she was regularly tortured that bothered her. It was the all consuming boredom that was driving her insane. Her fingers gripped her hair on either side of her head and pulled. Sometimes just to feel the pain was a relief. It let her know she was still alive.

The images of Sirius and Bellatrix were burned in her mind. She wanted to bash her head against the wall until they left but she was too much of a coward to kill herself that way. The anger coursed through her body until sometimes she shook with it. Why did he have to be so weak?

But, you always knew that about him, she reminded herself. The way he drank, the stories of the women from his past, the way he always flies into danger just for the excitement of it all. That's what got him into the Veil in the first place.

She sighed. Why did she have to love him of all people? She hadn't before. It was Remus Lupin she had been attracted to. Of course she would never have tried anything. He was with Tonks. It was just a crush.

But something about Sirius attracted her. Maybe it was knowing how much she could hurt him. It was sick, she knew, but having power over someone else in that way made her feel slightly better about how many times she had been hurt in the last 6 months. Beyond hurt. If it hadn't been for Griselda's spell in the beginning she would be insane or dead. The only thing that was saving her now was the fact that everyone's interest had waned. She was no longer a new toy to play with. She had caused them too much trouble.

The only one who seriously bothered nowadays was Avery, Sirius, and Bellatrix. Avery would never forget the way she had humiliated him by escaping. He considered it a personal insult. Once someone had caught his attention in any way, they rarely escaped unscathed.

He's like a psychotic tiger, she sighed inwardly. A tiger that keeps tracking its prey until the poor animal simply gets too tired to run anymore and rolls over and waits for its death. Sometimes she felt like doing just that.

Maybe Sirius would come down to apologize and she could emotionally torture him some more.

Snape had said that true love would break her curse and it had. Her tears were evidence of that. But, how could she truly love Sirius and still want to treat him this way?

It was confusing.

Footsteps echoed and came closer. She tensed and sat up straighter. Had her wish been granted? Was Sirius coming to apologize?

It was Avery. She stood up quickly and backed against the wall. "What do you want?" she asked, not as bravely as she would have hoped.

He smiled at her. "You didn't think I had forgotten about you, did you?"

"I had my hopes."

His smile never wavered. "That's all you have, isn't it? After all from what I hear, little lovesick Sirius Black has been playing very nice with his cousin, Bellatrix."

Her face flamed and she pushed off the wall angrily. "That's none of your business."

He cursed her and a dark red slash began oozing blood from her upper arm. She sucked in a breath and stifled a shriek of pain. In a flash he was by her side, gripping her arm just under the wound painfully.

"Let's go," he ordered, forcefully pushing her toward the doorway and up the stairs. It was almost surreal having carpet under her feet once more. The air smelled better too. Her stomach wanted to heave at the loss of blood but she managed not to vomit. It would probably be worse for her if she did.

The walk up the stairs was silent and they didn't see anyone she knew by sight on her way to wherever they were going. Thank God.

Her relief was short-lived however as they stopped in front of the door to his room and he pushed her through. He shut it and smiled at her as the sound of a click left them all alone.

She was really afraid now as he tossed his wand onto the nightstand next to the bed and walked toward her. With every step it seemed as if he discarded some piece of clothing until he was standing in front of her clad only in boots and trousers.

Being so close to him half naked drove her anxiety to the point that she couldn't move or think straight. There was such violence in his every action as if he was barely containing himself from ripping her to shreds.

"I've been extremely lenient with you under the circumstances," he told her, lifting his arm and slapping her hard across the face so that she tasted blood. He shoved her against the wall with a hand to her throat and brutally kissed her, his tongue cutting off the last air she had. Her struggles only excited him more and it was awhile before he let up.

When he did, it was so abrupt she fell to the floor clutching her bruised neck. He turned his back to her and stalked back to his wand, turning it on her as quickly as he had dropped it in the first place.

She screamed and thrashed on the floor until he let up. He was acting different, she noted through a haze of pain. He looked almost exhilarated. His movements were abrupt.

He walked back to her and without a word scooped her up and threw her on the bed, covering her body with his before she even knew what he doing. She couldn't scream because she had no air left in her.

His face was so close that she couldn't look fully at him without touching him. "I suppose by now, you've guessed my intentions, Mudblood. Were you even thinking of the consequences of your actions while you were fucking Black?"

Her mind was foggy and slow. What the hell was he talking about? He was scaring her beyond anything he had ever done before.

He inspected every inch of her face, every emotion, as he continued speaking. He gave a short laugh. "Did you really think you could have even one moment of happiness without repercussions? You really are stupid?"

"What are you talking about?" she choked out, trying not to turn her face lest their cheeks touch. His forearms were pinning her down while his hands absently played with her hair. She knew it was a deliberate move on his part to further unnerve her. "I didn't do anything."

"That's a lie. You shouldn't have taunted me that night in the dungeons when you escaped. You should have known I'd find you and your fate would be much worse than anyone else's."

She grew paler.

"Don't worry. Black has his own price to pay. Fortunately," he said, lightly, "his punishment and yours coincide." He bent his head to her cheek and ran his tongue up the length of it. She tried wriggle away, but it was futile. "Just keep playing your part."

"You're crazy," she whispered.

He laughed at her. She'd never heard the sound before coming from him. That was bad.

"Yes," he agreed, gripping her face so that she was forced to look at him, "you're probably right. But, don't pretend that you haven't wanted this."

She looked at him in astonishment. "Are you serious? I hate you. The thought of you touching me makes me want to vomit."

He pretended to consider her words. "I guess I can see that. After all, Ginny did the last time I touched her. Made quite a mess."

Hermione looked away as unbidden tears filled her eyes. He continued tracing some invisible line over her face.

"The Dark Lord has no more use for you," he continued lightly, "You'll probably be killed soon. Maybe he'll wait and save you for when he captures Potter. He has always been fond of inflicting mental torture as well as physical upon his victims before he finally kills them."

Hermione set her jaw and still refused to look at him. Her tears remained but they turned into tears of anger. "Harry won't fail."

His face never changed.

"It may take him years but he will succeed. Your Dark Lord is insane like his followers."

If she hadn't known better, she would have thought her words had no effect on him at all. But, she shivered as she thought of all the things he was going to do to her in repayment if them.

Almost as if he had read her mind, a slim silver dagger was produced and held lightly in his hand. She held her breath and he tapped the point of the blade against her forehead in contemplation.

"We're going to play a game, Mudblood," he said finally, in his same neutral tightly controlled voice. He looked at her and smiled, sitting up to straddle her hips. Though he wasn't abnormally big, his weight still felt crushing to her.

"It's called How-Many-Times-Can I-Cut-The-Mudblood-Before-She-Cries? Aloud."

It was the way he said that, so casually in such a normal tone that made her whole body start trembling in a rush of fear.

He positioned the dagger carefully in his hand and lightly sliced through the straps to her top, making sure he cut into her flesh. She hissed lightly but it didn't hurt as bad as she thought it would.

"Don't move now," he cautioned, "I might accidentally cut deeper than I mean to." He pressed lightly once more between her breasts, nicking her skin until a tiny bead of blood appeared.

She was confused. Was this _it_?

As he continued making tiny careful cuts over her body, she soon realized how uncomfortable it was to have dozens of tiny cuts all over your body. It felt like a low flame was being held over her skin, moving slowly. She shifted and the knife went in deeper than it was supposed to. Not that he cared.

"I told you not to move," he shrugged nonchalantly, eyes glittering. He bent closer. "You might want to summon up some of that misplaced courage you were just throwing around. This is really going to take awhile.

XXXXX

Ginny darted into the library and shut the door, leaning against it heavily and expelling a breath. Some Deatheaters were walking up the hall and she had to escape before they started in on her. As Avery's wife, she wasn't tortured by anyone other than him and Voldemort, but the others certainly tried other ways to make her life even more miserable.

Would Harry ever rescue her? She bit her lip and told herself that it was cowardly to want Harry to endanger himself just to rescue her. But it was true. Deep down inside herself, she knew that she wanted to get out of here more than she wanted Voldemort dead. It was selfish but it was honest.

She let out a breath and turned around slowly to open the door and peek through. It was all clear. She slowly slipped out and darted into the corridor, the folds of her dress rustling against each other as she walked quickly down the hall.

Up ahead, she saw something that looked familiar. The entrance to the dungeons. Avery had dragged her to it one day and told her that she could just as well become pregnant down there as she could in the comfort of her room.

Her mouth twisted bitterly. Comfort, she sneered, wanting to spit the word out of her mouth. Nothing about her life was comfortable. Or nice.

Hermione was down there. She stopped at the door and stared at it. She missed her friends so badly and Hermione was the only one here. She reached out her hand slowly to the knob and twisted, surprised to even find it open. Weren't dungeons supposed to be locked?

They were so sure of the security of this place that they didn't need to lock it, she supposed, feeling slightly more depressed at that thought. Before she opened the door fully, she hesitated. If Avery or anyone else caught her down there she would be punished.

Her hand shook. Avery was abnormal. He wasn't human, she was sure. His eyes were so blue it was creepy, and his voice…

She shuddered. The way he could be so inhumane and yet speak with perfect control while torturing her was the worst. He plagued her nightmares. Everything about him filled her entire being with fear.

Still…

Her breathing was rapid as she opened the door and plunged ahead, down the stone steps and into the stark bare expanse. Hermione wasn't even there. Tears of frustration filled her eyes and she turned to go back up.

Thankfully the manor was somewhat deserted at the moment. A lot of the Deatheaters had positions in the Ministry now. Some were at Hogwarts still, and the rest she didn't want to know what they were doing.

There were enough here though to cause her to watch her step as she shut the door and started away from it.

"What are you doing here?" a sharp voice snapped from behind her.

Ginny jumped back against the wall, eyes wide. Mulciber stood few feet away from her, glaring. She swallowed.

"It was unlocked," she offered in feeble response, gesturing at the door beside her.

He frowned and furrowed his brow in irritation. "Well stay away from it if you know what's good for you."

She nodded and ran away, down the hall and into another empty room. This was her life now Nothing but one long escape attempt from her tormentors.

XXXXX

Hermione stifled a moan. The cuts were burning. Avery slid one hand up her torso, over her bloody cuts to her breast. Then without warning, he thrust the dagger into her leg.

She screamed and tried to grab it but he wouldn't let her.

"Sorry about that. I was getting bored."

"I'm so sorry that my pain is boring you," she spat, hissing in pain as blood slowly oozed out from her wound.

He tossed the dagger carelessly over his shoulder and she heard it knock against the wall with a bang as it slid to the floor.

"Enough of this," he said, his eyes abnormally bright. Almost like a fever. He stretched out over her slowly sliding his bare torso over her bloody one.

"Why are you doing this?' she whispered. "You've never wanted to before."

He smiled thinly. "Of course at times I have wanted to. But I am extremely self-controlled."

She pushed against his chest with both hands but she was weak now. She only got fed enough to keep her alive. He was beyond strong. She couldn't budge him even an inch. Like lightning, he swooped down, pinning her hands against him and forcing her mouth open with his. His entire manner screamed that he had every right to be doing this to her and no amount of struggling could stop him.

His tongue stroked hers over and over again while one of his hands painfully gripped her hip, digging in and pressing her closer to him. He broke the kiss off with a cruel smile and looked down at her.

"It's not like we haven't done this before."

Her face reddened. "I wasn't myself then and besides you were trying to trick me."

"So you decided to fuck me?"

She was beyond mortified and humiliated. "I guess so," she shot back, "How did that feel, Avery? Fucking a mudblood? You probably liked it. So much for superior morals and values."

He just kept the smile. "You're right. I did like it. That's why I'm going to fuck you again."

She tried to hit him but he kept a firm grip on her arm.

"You know," he continued, "I've wanted to tell you something for a few weeks now. I really think I preferred you the way you were."

She was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You're sort of pathetic now. Thankfully, I happen to have researched the spell that Griselda used on you and I am certain that I could re-create it."

She looked at him horrified. "No, you can't do that. I broke it. You can't do that again." He cut off her struggles.

"I can and I will."

He kissed her again and then grabbed his wand. She quickly reached for it but he slapped her hard across the face. God, he really was the master of overkill.

He muttered some words and she saw the same blue sheen that she had with Griselda and then he was finished. With a sinking heart, she looked up at him and saw his eyes. She was surprised that there was anger in them. Was this part of his revenge? To completely destroy her?

He reached down and unbuttoned his trousers. She couldn't look at him. He slid them off and placed his wand on the dresser just out of her reach. She filed that away for later, but for now she simply looked away.

Until he grabbed her face again with one hand and forced her to look him in the face. She couldn't help but see the rest of him in her peripherals. He was magnificent, she admitted privately, averting her eyes from his stare so that he couldn't use Legilimens on her. Like a snake coiled to strike.

Something strange that she hadn't previously felt coursed through her. What was it? Something niggled in the back of her mind, but she couldn't remember. He was kissing her, moving against her, inside her. Soon, to her everlasting shame, she responded.

A part of her was excited by his response when he realized she was relenting. His movements were less restraining and more frenzied, as if he _needed_ this. He released her arms and she wrapped them around his torso.

She couldn't lie to herself anymore. She wanted him, possibly even more than Sirius.

And why shouldn't she find some solace in this desolate place?

XXXXX

Harry and Ron stood awkwardly in front of Bill and Fleur. They were leaving to go to Malfoy Manor, but saying goodbye was hard. This might be last time any of them saw each other.

Bill was the one who spoke first. "I wish you both all the luck in the world. Are you sure you won't let me help?"

Harry hesitated then shook his head. "Just remember the horcruxes. If we don't make it, you two are the only ones who know about them. We're not coming back here just in case we're followed so I don't know the next time we'll be able to contact you."

Fleur's eyes grew misty and she leaned in to hug both Harry and Ron. "Be careful. You must be here when the baby is born."

Bill was next. He whispered into Harry's ear as he too hugged him. "Bring my sister home, Harry. Hermione too."

Harry nodded and swallowed awkwardly before turning and walking out of the front door alongside Ron. The plan was tenuous and risky but it was the only one they had. Bill had helped them stake out the Ministry for awhile waiting for the perfect time and the perfect wizard and now they had one.

The plan was to put a Deatheater under the Imperius Curse and force him to help them collect hair samples from two other Deatheaters for Polyjuice Potion. It shouldn't be too hard. The Ministry was crawling with them nowadays. They had chosen a lesser Deatheater named Willoughby Wasserley and he was going to show them how to get in past the wards.

Then he would help them fight their way out. Harry felt slightly weird about using an Unforgivable but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He took hold of Ron's arm and they each took deep breaths.

The first stop was the Ministry. Then, Malfoy Manor.

XXXXX

Hermione moaned into Avery's mouth as he spent himself inside her. He rolled over and took her with him, placing her on top so she could continue. He watched her through hooded eyes as she leaned over him and placed both palms on his chest, moving her hips rhythmically against his with wild abandon.

She felt guilty about enjoying this and not really fighting back, but then she remembered Sirius and how furious she still was with him and pushed it out of her head. She only wished that he could be forced to watch her with Avery the way she'd been with him and Bellatrix.

And then, as ifthat had been the plan all along, the door opened.

She didn't hear it at first. Her head was thrown back as the tension within her built. Her nails dug in sharply and she heard an almost inaudible intake of breath. Just as waves of orgasm were washing over her and her body was shaking uncontrollably with it, something caught her eye and she barely turned her head but it was enough.

Sirius stood in the doorway, red-faced and furious. And betrayed. There was nothing she could do. Her body was immobilized as well as pinned down with Avery's hands. He lightly thrust up into her as Sirius watched and smirked at the other man's face.

Avery knew Bellatrix stood just out of sight in the hallway because he had told her to. She had deliberately led Black to his room where he would discover them.

Hermione regained control of herself and gasped out his name.

"Sirius, I…"

He regarded her coldly. "Don't bother trying to explain, Hermione. I'll leave you to your _new_ plaything."

And he turned and stalked out of the room.

Bellatrix's horrible smiling face leaned in just long enough to shut the door and leave them alone.

Avery looked at her still watching the door and admired how beautiful she looked gleaming and naked.

And furious.

"This was your plan," she stated, not bothering to move off him.

He reached up with deliberate slowness and held her face within the grasp of one hand. Then he roughly jerked it to mere inches from his.

"This was my plan," he agreed, flicking his tongue out to lightly lick her cheek.

She didn't recoil. "And he'll never want me again."

Coldness seemed to fill her as she regarded him thoughtfully. "And now you have me all to yourself."

He startled, slightly lifting his body off the bed before relaxing it and coolly looking at her. "I don't need you all to myself. You're just a worthless mudblood. You forget I have a wife. But, as long as I can cause you misery in any way…"

Her gaze was icy. "Come now." She leaned down closer to him so that her breasts just brushed his chest. "With Lucius, Draco, and now Sirius out of the way there is no one left to get in yours. Even Dolohov's bloodlust has been pacified with torture."

He returned smoothly, "I had nothing to do with that. They brought about their own downfall. They let themselves get carried away with their own lust and need for soothing their pride. You were the closest thing to Harry Potter."

"How nice for you," she whispered, tauntingly and was rewarded with a flash of his blue eyes before he hit her across the face with the back of his hand.

She laughed and wiped the blood from her lip. He leapt up and forced her face into a pillow positioning himself and then slamming into her hard. He rode her furiously, so hard that her whole body shook.

She managed to find a pocket of air to gulp into her before she passed out. She hated the hand that was holding her head in place and tried to wriggle out of it to no avail.

"Does this look like I have any sort of feelings for you other than something to temporarily relieve myself in?"

She had made him very angry but she knew she was right. He desired her and was angry about it being voiced aloud.

He finished and shoved her away, stepping off from the bed and finding his clothes. He slid into his pants and sneered at her.

"Thanks for the fuck, Mudblood. Get dressed and get out."

You sliced up my clothes, she thought witheringly, holding up her ruined top. The bottoms were okay but she couldn't walk around topless.

She remembered that she could do wandless magic. Avery already knew she could and he was the one who put the spell back on her.

With a wave of her hand the entire piece of material transfigured into a simple grey dress with more ease than she had ever been able to manage before. She slid it over her head and turned to face Avery who had been watching her the whole time.

Though he didn't show her his sudden worry, he realized that he had left his wand behind her on the dresser and that if she were to realize that, she could overpower him.

He smoothly walked over to her. Then he reached over and grabbed his wand and walked back away.

"Get out."

She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled a deep breath, then expelled it and opened them. "I wonder if you'd like pain so much if you were on the receiving end of it, Avery."

His eyes flashed surprise for just a second before it was masked. "I've been on the receiving end of pain much of my life, Mudblood. Pain makes you feel alive."

There were things unspoken swirling in the air and Hermione's wand hand tensed as did his. This wasn't going to end well.

"I'll warrant that you've dished out more than you've taken."

"I've been fortunate in that respect," he agreed tensely.

Hermione smiled. She had finally remembered something Griselda had told her when the spell had first been cast.

She reached out her hand to take his wand away and Avery was quick, but over confident. His wand flew into her hand and for a moment she contemplated snapping it, but then considered. She didn't want Voldemort to kill him though she knew she should. Having his wand taken away by a mudblood certainly would get him killed or at least tortured.

"Crucio," she said, barely containing her laughter at the shocked look on his face. He knew she was able to perform wandless magic, but what he hadn't counted on was the fact that without the magic-inhibiting gauntlets, her magic was amplified. It was so much easier for her.

Well, it had always been easy, but now it was downright simple. She wondered briefly if Malfoy's library had any more books on complicated spells. She'd left the last one at Sirius' house.

Avery wasn't able to keep from yelling out in pain as she tortured him on the floor. She let up and knelt down beside him, placing a hand on his brow gently.

"By the way Avery, you might want to gather up some of that very misplaced courage you were just throwing around earlier." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "This is going to take awhile."

XXXXX

Three men walked up the stone pathway to the gate of Malfoy Manor. Harry kept his hand on his wand inside his robes and pointed at the Deatheater. There was no turning back now. He looked over at Ron who was also disguised as a much older man.

"When we get inside, you go find Hermione and I'll look for Ginny," he said in a low voice.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know what were going to be walking into there and I don't want you to snap if you… get angry," he finished, casting a sideways glance at his friend.

Ron's lips tightened and his face got noticeably redder. "You mean, if I walk in and some nasty Deatheater bastard is violating my sister?"

The way he said it made Harry's hackles rise. "Yes," he snapped, "That."

They walked the rest of the way in silence until Wasserly stopped in front of an enormous iron gate and waved his hand. It opened with a loud creaking noise and they continued up to the front entrance.

"Remember we have less than thirty minutes to find them and get out of here. Probably more like twenty by now," Harry said, "Otherwise the potion will wear off and it will be almost impossible to escape. When we find them, call for your broomstick and get out of here fast. If we get separated, we're going to meet at King's Cross."

Ron wrinkled his brow. "Why there?"

Harry shrugged. "I can't think of any magical places where they might not look for us and the train station is the only place in muggle London that you know."

Ron nodded wordlessly, only growing slightly paler. He couldn't tell Harry but he was scared shitless about this. If he found Hermione and managed to escape through the wards, he would still be solely responsible for getting her all the way to London and then into the train station without being caught by Voldemort's men or muggles.

He was freaking out.

The door was up ahead.

"Wasserly," Ron said sharply, causing the other man to stop up short and turn. "When we get in there you are to find any inner circle Deatheaters and detain them. Call a meeting and say that you have information on Harry Potter that needs immediate attention. If that doesn't work, then you are to help us escape with Hermione and Ginny any way possible. Understand?"

Wasserly nodded vacantly.

"Wait and take your cues from us when we get inside," Harry added, then grabbed his arm and got his attention. "Don't let them call _Him_."

Wasserly nodded and opened the front door. They all walked in and breathed a sigh of relief as they encountered no one right away.

"Alright, go Wasserly. Let's split up, Ron. Remember," he whispered, "if something happens, grab Hermione and go. King's Cross."

Ron nodded and they split up. Wasserly walked with a purpose across the entrance hall and disappeared into a corridor. Ron went left and Harry went right.

XXXXX

Hermione stood over Avery with the same dagger that he had cut her with. Only she had definitely gone deeper than he had.

It was exhilarating being able to cause him even a fraction of the pain he had caused her.

As she stood over him with a smirk, he started laughing. The smirk rapidly disintegrated into a grimace.

"I'm obviously not making as big an impression as I'd hoped." On the last word she brought the dagger down hard and fast into his hand, through the fleshy palm and hit carpet.

He hissed in pain but then recovered the smile. "You are pathetic, Mudblood. Do you really think that you are in my caliber? I've been torturing people since before you were born. Men, women, children. Did you know that my father and the Dark Lord were school children together? He was one of the first his followers, along with the Blacks, Malfoys, Rosier, Macnair, Mulciber. The list goes on. How can you hope to compare to them?"

She stayed silent while he spoke, but kept the dagger at his throat. His face still bore the same arrogant superior expression as it had the entire time she had been torturing him. That really annoyed her.

"There are worse ways to torture someone besides physical pain, Mudblood. Unfortunately, for you, I have very few weaknesses and you will never discover them."

She sneered. "I already know one of your weaknesses. Your Dark Lord."

His eyes held a trace of confusion but he stayed silent.

She explained. "Your entire childhood and belief system is built upon so-called mudbloods being unworthy to practice magic. But, here I am," she smiled and then gestured to him, "and there you are. How do you explain that?"

"I cast a spell on you."

She laughed. "I figured you'd say that. The way I see it, _I _am better than you."

He kept his temper tightly reigned in until he could find a time when she let her guard down. Then he would gain the upper hand and decide whether or not to kill her.

"You see, I'm assuming you came from a long line of magical ancestors. Maybe you did or maybe you didn't. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," she told him mockingly, sending a wave of pain throughout his body with just a touch. She didn't want him getting any ideas about escaping from her just yet.

"It's kind of logical that you would be born possessing magic. No brainer." That was an odd concept. Him being born. Him as a baby. Who could've ever loved him? What kind of mother did he have?

"But me," she continued, "I come from no magical parents. Nothing at all… and still I was born magical. That's pretty fantastic, wouldn't you say?"

At his silent staring look, she sighed and got up, keeping her eyes on him. "No, you probably wouldn't. And don't even get me started on Harry Potter, a half-blood. Who your master hasn't been able to defeat yet."

With that his hand struck out and grabbed her around the throat. He slapped her across the face and pinned her to the floor.

He shook his head. "A mudblood will never be as good as a pureblood. You can keep trying but in the end you'll die."

She furiously shouted "Crucio" and he fell off her, trying to grab his wand before she kicked it away but was unsuccessful.

He kicked her feet out from underneath her and sent her crashing to the floor. He was almost to his wand when the door flew open and a strange man stood angry and red-faced in the doorway. He spoke hurriedly.

"Hermione, it's me, Ron. I've come to rescue you. Harry's getting Ginny. We have to go."

Hermione was dumbfounded by the man's sudden appearance. Avery was no longer arrogant and taunting, but cold and dangerous. With Ron's inadequate magical abilities, she knew that he would be no match for Avery.

She raised a hand and sent him flying across the room. The man's hair was slowly beginning to turn an orange-ish tint and she smiled.

"Polyjuice?"

He nodded. "We don't have much time. If we can't find Harry, we're supposed to leave without him and meet up later."

Avery was slowly climbing to his feet. Ron waved his wand and said, "Accio broom."

"If you escape, I will find you and kill you, Mudblood."

Hermione looked over raising her arm. As she glanced at his naked upper torso, she felt a pull in her lower abdomen and wished for a moment that they had more time together. She didn't know if it was for sex or torture.

"Well, Avery it seems that I must end our time together."

He was tense. If he moved then he would be killed or at least stunned and then he risked not being able to get to Ginny in enough time. If he lost the Mudblood then he would be tortured, but if he lost the Dark Lord's favorite new toy then he would be killed.

She smirked. Ron's broom came crashing through a window downstairs, making its way up to the second floor, over the balcony and into his hands.

"Hermione, get on," he yelled, hearing noise from the first floor drifting up.

"I guess we'll see each other again."

Ron couldn't discern the look that the two shared for just a moment. It was filled with so many things. Hate, anger, arrogance… lust? Almost as if they were going to enjoy the challenge of a new game. He shook his head. He must be imagining things. He wasn't really that deep anyway.

She knocked him back against the wall and the last thing he saw before black was her awkwardly climbing onto the back of that idiot's broomstick and zooming away.

XXXXX

Ginny was sitting in a dark room, hiding out from everyone, when she heard the first sounds of angry shouting. She wondered if she should go see what was happening or if it would be worse for her. In the end, her curiosity won and she got up and opened the door.

The sounds seemed to be coming from upstairs and also from the Main Hall. She darted quickly up the stairs and saw someone flying off on a broomstick. The girl on the back looked like Hermione, but that was impossible. Unless…

Her heart rate quickened. Harry? Was he here?

Her legs suddenly wouldn't move. She was terrified and stuck in place on the stairs. If Harry was here, she could leave with him and be far away from Avery forever.

But, what if she attempted to escape and failed? She couldn't even imagine the punishment that would await her. She still remembered Avery's last threat and shuddered. She had nightmares about it.

Or what if they escaped and she got recaptured like Hermione?

That was the fear that kept her rooted to the floor instead of dashing off to find Harry. It was as if her fear paralyzed her.

She climbed the stairs as if in a dream, making it to the landing halfway up, when she heard her name being yelled. She jerked around and saw a man slowly bubbling down to Harry, running down from the third floor straight ahead of her. To her right, Avery ran out of his room, his eyes glinting when he saw her.

Harry got to her first and sent a stunning spell to a Deatheater that had finally figured out what was going on. Chills ran down his spine when he heard Bellatrix screaming in the background.

"Ginny, come on, we have to go," he yelled, his breathing hitched from fear and exercise.

Avery in the distance, shirtless, started off at a sprint.

Harry pointed his wand and yelled, "Accio broomstick!"

Ginny started crying. She couldn't move and she knew that her husband was getting close. He lifted his arm and with his wand called for the Dark Lord.

"Harry, you have to go. Voldemort's coming," she said, almost begging him to leave. Avery would catch her. He would always find her. He was always there to hurt her.

Harry was incredulous. "Ginny, get on. We have to go NOW!" He clutched his scar and almost fainted from the pain of it.

She tried to make her legs move, but the same paralyzing terror of what might happen to her if they should fail kept her still.

Avery shot a stunning spell at Harry which he quickly blocked. "Harry Potter, what a surprise this is. I must say it's rather awkward, don't you think?"

They circled each other. "What?"

Avery smiled coldly. "Well, I just mean, now that Ginny is my _wife_, it's rather awkward for you to just show up unannounced."

The look of shock on his face almost made Avery want to laugh. Almost.

"Ginny, I know he forced you. It's okay. Let's go," he pleaded, seeing Bellatrix and others running across the great room.

Tears spilled over her cheeks. "I can't," she croaked, looking terrified at Avery.

He just looked at her incredulously, smiling as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"You have the chance to escape and you're not taking it?" he asked, with disbelieving laughter in his voice. "I've really fucked you up, haven't I?"

Ginny just cried, looking down at the floor, wanting to go with the boy she loved. Harry blew out a hiss of frustrated breath and mounted his broom faster than Avery could stun him. He shot a petrifying spell over his shoulder and jetted off toward the large window that Ron's broom had broken. He gave one last look at Ginny and saw her crying with Avery's possessive hand clamped down on her shoulder like a vice.

He'd come back for her, he promised himself. Next time, he wasn't leaving unless she was with him.

He would have died had the others made it to him and Ginny in enough time, but thankfully Wasserly was still under the Imperius Curse and was firing the Killing Curse at his comrades. The last thing he saw before blue sky was a black-haired woman shooting green light at the lesser Deatheater and him falling, never to get up again. Her screams of fury followed him up.

Just to make sure they couldn't follow him, he apparated mid air taking his broom with him and then everything was quiet.

For Voldemort's followers, they're pain was just beginning. Only Avery was still smiling. The Dark Lord wouldn't punish him as badly. After all, his wife, ex-girlfriend of Harry Potter, had stayed of her own free will.

Voldemort would be very interested in that.

**PS- The boys had left their broomsticks on the outskirts of Malfoy property for easy summoning. I forgot to write that.**

**I wrote Ginny that way because when I'm scared of getting caught doing something, I get paralyzed with fear myself. I would be scared of getting caught.**

**I'm seriously considering having this as the ending. Or at least I was. This would be the perfect ending if I was going to do a sequel. I don't know.**

**Anyways thanks for your patience. I was getting bored but writing other stories helped with my block.**


	34. RAB

Harry apparated into a dark alley near the train station and walked quickly inside. He was still reeling from his encounter with Avery and Ginny. What the hell had happened back there? She had wanted to come with him, he was sure of it. So why hadn't she? Was she under some sort of spell? Were they holding something or someone over her head?

Frustration threatened to boil over as he angrily scanned around for Ron and Hermione. God, he only hoped that she had been able to escape.

He stopped up short for an instant and almost shuddered. What would Ron say?

Great. He hadn't even thought about that.

"Harry," a voice hissed, grabbing his arm and dragging him into a side room. Harry had his wand out, just in case, but it was only Ron. Hermione was behind him smiling and looking tired.

He walked over and hugged her tightly and she returned it. She was thin, he realized. They needed to find some food and get it into her fast.

"Okay. Where the hell is Ginny?" Ron asked, panic starting to seep into his voice.

Harry slowly disentangled himself from his friend and turned to look at Ron. "I found her, but…"

Ron looked at him expectantly, face starting turn red. "Yeah?"

Harry looked at him helplessly. "I was right there in front of her, but she wouldn't come. I don't understand it. She wanted to come but it was like… she couldn't or something."

Ron looked devastated and angry. "Well, why the hell didn't you just grab her and leave. Who gives a shit what she wants?" he yelled.

"Have you ever tried to drag a person onto a broom while people are firing curses at you and then fly away? It's not as easy as it sounds. It's not like I didn't want to save her," he yelled back, running a hand through his hair.

Hermione looked incredulous. "I find it hard to believe that she didn't want to escape. I mean, Avery…"

Harry interrupted her. "…is a dangerous bastard and was standing right there trying to kill us. I think she was too scared or under a spell that wouldn't let her move or something." It sounded stupid but that was all he could think of.

Hermione looked at Harry oddly for a second before she realized that he knew about Ginny and Avery but Ron didn't. And he wanted it to stay that way. That was irritating. It was going to be hard keeping it from Ron.

She looked around. "Where are we going to go?"

They looked at each other. "I don't know," Harry said. "We can't go back to Sirius'. We can't go to Hogwarts. I don't want to endanger Bill and Fleur," –or tell them we didn't get Ginny- "Diagon Alley is out of the question-,"

"My house," Hermione interrupted, "My parents are in Australia but the house is still there. Just in case we actually win this war."

They looked at her uneasily. "They have our names and addresses at the Ministry. It's dangerous."

"It's the best chance we got," she shot back, "We don't have to stay forever, just long enough to rest and eat and change clothes." They all looked down at her bare feet.

Harry nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

Things went right back to normal just then. The boys held hands with Hermione and she closed her eyes, apparating them into her backyard. It was pretty overgrown but she ignored that.

"Wait a second. How did you do that?" Ron asked, just then realizing that Hermione was wandless.

She couldn't tell them the whole truth, but she told them some of it. "There was a woman where I was held who cast a spell on me to give me wandless magic in case I had the opportunity to escape."

They raised they're eyebrows excitedly. "What's her name?"

Hermione shrugged coldly. "It doesn't matter. They killed her." And with that she walked past them a few steps and raised her arms. She cast every sort of charm and spell that she could think of to hide them during their stay and then she walked into the house through the back door and into the kitchen.

She looked around feeling like stranger. The girl who lived here before was dead, she realized, as Harry and Ron came up behind her. Instead of being irritated with them as she thought she would, she was comforted. They were hers. They needed her and she needed them.

After all, she couldn't do everything by herself, could she?

XXXXX

Ginny was forced to kneel alongside her husband with everyone else that had been at the Manor and let Harry Potter escape. Words couldn't describe how she felt right now. She heard Voldemort's voice, cutting and filled with derision, but couldn't stop thinking about what she'd done.

Who could she blame now? No one but herself. What was wrong with her? She could be with Harry right now. His face sprang to her mind and tears filled her eyes. His messy black hair, green eyes, glasses, the scar on his forehead…

Thinking of his scar brought her abruptly back into the present. Voldemort was still hissing up in front and unfortunately for her she had a front row seat.

"A seventeen year old boy who can barely perform magic without the help of others, walked right into my headquarters, under the noses of some of my most _loyal_ followers, and was allowed to leave _unharmed_ with one of my prisoners."

It was so quiet that Ginny could hear a pin drop. If her heartbeat hadn't been so loud. Why was she here? How could she have let him leave without her? She could've gone into hiding. Avery never would've found her. She was such a stupid idiot.

"Tell me, how could this have happened?"

It was Bellatrix who spoke up. "Milord, one of us betrayed you and let Potter and the Weasely brat inside. They were in disguise."

Ginny flinched at her mention of Ron. It was sure to draw attention to her.

His face twisted into a cold smile and he continued pacing up front. "Ah, so these boys and a man who was barely a Deatheater were able to fool all of you. That's pathetic."

He picked out Avery and cursed him again. Ginny tried to scramble away but the man next to her gripped her arm tight. Avery was screaming in pain and the sound of it made Ginny's stomach twist. She'd never seen him like this before. Would he take it out on her later?

Voldemort's gaze turned on her as he let up on Avery. "So they came for the Mudblood but left you here. How interesting."

Through his agony, Avery smiled briefly.

Ginny didn't say anything but her eyes down. He couldn't know that she'd chosen to stay over escaping. It would be too humiliating. What would he think? She'd rather him think they just came for Hermione.

"They—they didn't know I was here." Her voice was small and it sounded pathetic even to her.

"That's not true, milord." Avery had regained his strength and was kneeling upright beside her once more, though he was breathing hard. "She chose to remain here rather than escape with Potter."

No one dared even make a titter in response.

Voldemort was intrigued. His interest was piqued and he held up a hand to silence him. "Get out," he ordered everyone else coldly, relishing the relieved look on everyone's faces as they scrambled for the door. He held such power over their lives.

Ginny made as if to leave too, but Avery clamped down on her wrist so tight it was painful and she hissed and tried to break free.

"Stop," he ordered, his eyes boring through her.."

He let go of her wrist and she cradled it, trying to rub the pain away. Voldemort assumed his chair and stared at them. "Now," he started smoothly, "what's this about?"

He'd have to kill her before she talked. But, Avery was more than helpful.

"Milord, I heard the boy tell her to get on his broomstick but she wouldn't."

He was surprised, but hid it well. "And why not?"

Ginny stubbornly stayed silent. She couldn't answer that question anymore than he could.

Voldemort looked over at Avery. "Make her speak."

Avery quickly stood up and she scrambled backwards to escape the curse. The second one hit her though and she screamed. Inside, Avery was enraged that the Mudblood had escaped him once again and poured all of his rage into that curse. Ginny gasped for air on the floor and rolled over, using her arms to push herself up. She collapsed after only a second because of her weak muscles.

"The Dark Lord asked you a question. Why didn't you try and escape with Potter."

"I don't know," she replied weakly. He strode over and jerked her up by her hair and pointed his wand at her throat.

"Do it. Kill me," she spat, tears forming in her eyes. "I hate you."

He smiled thinly and for just a second forgot about the Dark Lord. He deliberately changed his demeanor and cocked his head to look at her. He let his eyes drop lower and saw the terrified look in hers. His wand tapped gently against her neck but he gripped her hair tighter.

"I won't kill you yet. First… maybe I'll give you a _proper_ goodbye, just the two of us. And then, when you really want to die, I'll give you to Lucius Malfoy, and then Dolohov, and then the Lestranges- need I go on?"

Her face was so pale it was like paper and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"I will throw you to every Deatheater in this house unless you tell the Dark Lord why you didn't even attempt to leave with Harry Potter."

Her voice was shaky and high. "I don't know. I just couldn't move. I- was afraid that you'd just find me and that it would be worse."

He didn't let his satisfaction show. His eyes glittered with malice and he pressed the wand into her skin harder. "You're a smart girl. I _would have_ found you. And then I would have killed your little boyfriend and your brother and brought you back here with me. So you see, there's nothing to be gained from escape."

Avery had been telling Hermione the truth when he said there were better ways to torture someone. All you needed was a button to push. Ginny's was him.

Voldemort's eyes practically glowed. His game with Ginny had just taken a new and very interesting turn.

He held up a hand to signal Avery to let up. Avery relaxed and stowed his wand moving off to the side to allow the Dark Lord a better view of his victim.

"Harry Potter risked his life by coming here," he began and it made Ginny feel worse. "Although by all accounts, he didn't waste much time in running off at the first sign of danger. Maybe because he had already gotten what he really came for."

Ginny glared at him through her tears. "Ron came for Hermione. Harry came for me."

"Except that now, who knows what he might be thinking about you. He comes to rescue you from me," he said mockingly, "and you turn him down in favor of staying. If you were in his position, what would you think? I doubt he'll even try again after you spat in the face of his heroic deed."

She hoped to God that he was wrong. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

"That's not what happened," she said, "I panicked but that doesn't mean—,"

"The Mudblood didn't seem to have a problem," Voldemort said, lazily. "She's out there right now, probably enjoying a nice meal, comfortable bed, and the attentions of the brat. You forget, Ginny, I've been inside his head. I've seen his thoughts, his mind. I know what he's thinking, his…_desires_."

She couldn't help the spark of jealousy that flared up at his words, nor could she deny that those very same irrational thoughts had been seeping into her mind for hours now. But, it wasn't Harry's fault that she had let him leave and Hermione hadn't.

"The Mudblood seems to have made out rather nicely in all this," Voldemort mused, seeing the angry look flash through the redhead's eyes and knowing he was striking nerves. "After all it's her fault you're here in the first place. And then without a backward glance or thought of your safety, she leaves. She leaves you here all alone to go be with your family and your boyfriend."

She finally broke down and cried angrily and Voldemort stood to walk around her, slowly pacing.

"You're all alone now, Ginny. There's obviously no one who cares enough about you to take care of you. Didn't you tell me that yourself, your first year? Everyone had someone except you. Always left out, always overlooked. Parents who could barely afford your education."

He's trying to trick you, she told herself, fiercely, trying to drown out his voice. You wouldn't even be listening to him if you weren't in such a state. Don't let him manipulate you again.

"Isn't it true that it was their fault you felt like you had no other person to turn to but me? Everything that happened that year was their fault, just like everything that's happened to you here is their fault."

"Stop," she cried, "That's not true. Everything's that happened to me is _your_ fault, not theirs. You're a monster."

"Your friend, the mudblood- what's her name? Hermione Granger- supposedly a smart witch, couldn't even learn Occlumency to shield her mind from mine. She protected Harry far longer than you. I guess she didn't like competing with a pureblood witch for his affections, knowing of course that you're better than her."

He's lying, he's lying, he's lying, she chanted, inwardly, feeling his presence close behind her.

"Soon you will have to realize the truth, Ginny."

She closed her eyes. "And what's that?"

"That you are alone in this world. You have no one, nothing but what I allow you to have. You are completely dependent upon my mercy."

As much as she hated him, she still couldn't look him in the face when she defied him. "If you are merciful, I'd hate to see what _un_merciful looks like. Let me go and maybe I'll believe you."

Voldemort laughed and Avery chuckled. "I'll never let you go. Besides amusing me, you still have your uses. Producing an heir for one. How is that going, Avery?"

Avery bowed his head to his master. "I take her three times a week. That should be more than enough considering her family's propensity for breeding. She might possibly already be with child."

She looked sick and prayed that it wasn't true. "I'll kill myself before I have it," she hissed. Could they find more ways to humiliate her?

He looked bored. "I've already cast a spell that won't allow you to harm yourself. Now shut up."

Voldemort sat back and smiled, steepling his fingers in mock seriousness. "It seems I have found the perfect guardian. Maybe I should have put the Mudblood in your care as well. I'm sure Ginny would have appreciated it."

"How can you say that? I love Hermione. She's one of my best friends. I would never wish _him_ on her." Her hands shook with anger and her face was scarlet.

"Even if it would have diverted your husband's attentions elsewhere?"

How could she answer that? He was trying to trick her. "I would never wish harm on someone I loved just for my own benefit."

"I wonder if that will true after you have been married awhile longer. Marriage, so I hear, is a battlefield." He laughed and then dismissed them, noting that Ginny walked stiffly away, with absolutely no respect. He would have to change that.

XXXXX

They had relaxed and eaten and now it was time for business. Harry had filled Hermione in on the situation regarding the horcruxes and made it as clear as possible that it was not her fault.

"I can't believe you lasted as long as did without breaking down. I wouldn't have," he said, shaking his head. "I doubt anyone could've."

She was still angry with herself. "He found out about Ginny because I couldn't keep him out of my head. He found out about the horcruxes. Everything's my fault. Sirius and Andromeda…" she drifted off into silence while Harry perked forward.

"What happened to Sirius?"

She turned her eyes to him. "Voldemort forced him to marry Andromeda. To stop the Black line from dying out. Bellatrix killed Ted so that her sister would be eligible."

A disgusted look crossed Harry's face after the shock of hearing that news wore off. "There are first cousins. That's disgusting."

"That's the traditional pureblood way," Ron said, "When you think about it, we're all related anyway. I mean, that's what _they _think," he added hurriedly at the looks on their faces.

Harry shook his head. "Thank God, I'm not one."

Hermione sighed and then expelled a breath. "So we know what the other horcruxes are now. That's a good thing. Which one should we start looking for first?"

The boys exchanged glances. "We were hoping you would know."

"Of course," she said importantly, tapping her finger against her chin. "Well, I suppose we could sneak into Hogwarts and talk to Snape."

Both boys looked at her in complete bafflement. "Why the hell would we wan to do that? Are you suggesting we torture him for information? I'm all for that, but—,"

She looked at them in confusion and then remembered that they didn't know that Snape wasn't really a traitor. She quickly told them everything she knew which wasn't much and then sat back to answer their questions.

"But, what if he's just tricking us?" Harry argued, hating that his enemy might be innocent.

She sighed and was getting frustrated. "Because he's not. He's used Sirius as his go between because he knew that no one would believe him. He was in on the trap set for V—_Him_ and is the reason that I gave my captors false information instead of letting them pry it from my mind."

They looked at her in shock.

"Your house was badly broken but your family is alive," she told Ron. "As far as I know, he can still be trusted. He might have information on where He might have gone during his absence. If we can figure out where he went, we might be able to figure out where he's hidden the horcruxes this time."

They looked thoughtfully and then nodded.

"You're right. If Snape can be trusted as you say, then right now he's our best shot." Harry looked tiredly over at her. "Thank God you're back. When do we leave?"

She hesitated. "Well, there's something else I have to tell you. It's about Draco Malfoy."

XXXXXXXXXX

_A week later_

Three figures appeared in the pitch black darkness with a loud pop. Thankfully, they weren't anywhere near Hogsmeade so their arrival went unnoticed by the few patrolling Deatheaters they saw in the distance at the base of the castle.

"I wish we knew how Dumbledore managed to be invisible without a cloak," Hermione grumbled, shifting hers around her so that she was completely covered. The first order of business had been to acquire invisibility cloaks for her and Ron so that they would all be free to come and go as they needed and not be reliant upon Harry.

It had been hard but finally they had sent Hermione to Fred and Georges joke shop to get them. Since she had powerful wandless magic the break-in wasn't hard. It was leaving without arousing suspicion that was challenging. Especially, when the twins had come downstairs unexpectedly, rubbing their tired eyes.

"I know I heard something, Fred. So what if the alarm didn't go off? Maybe they're not a Deatheater."

Hermione had slipped one of the cloaks around her so that she was unnoticed and bit her lip. It was hard not to say anything to them, but if they were ever interrogated, it would be safer for everyone.

Fred lifted his eyes and suddenly pointed. "Hey do you see that? Something moved over there."

Damn these small aisles, she thought gritting her teeth and walking for the door. At least they wouldn't know it was her.

"Is that you, Harry?" George whispered into the air. Fred's face lit up but he didn't come closer.

Hermione kept silent, wishing she could say something.

"Hey, take whatever you need," Fred said quietly, "You can come back anytime. We'll leave you alone."

They turned to go back upstairs and George looked over his shoulder. "Just so you know Fred, I'm going to be leaving the side window unlocked every Wednesday night. Alright with you?"

"Alright with me Georgie," Fred replied.

They were almost out of sight before Hermione whispered 'thank you'. They had barely stopped but turned to each other and smiled and Hermione knew they had heard her. She had not taken anything else but slipped out of the door, repairing the broken lock on her way out.

Now, as she looked up toward the castle, she felt a surge of gratitude for them. She would only take them up on their offer if it was important. She didn't want to take advantage.

Harry pulled out his broom and Hermione got on the back. Ron took his out and they all rose quietly in the air up to the window of the headmaster's office in the tower.

"How do we get in?" Ron asked in a low voice.

Hermione looked around Harry to try and see in. Snape was there, she realized happily. If he hadn't been, they would have kept coming back every night until he was. Without telling the boys, she waved her hand at the window and sent a spell at it.

It made a noise that startled Snape and his black head snapped up. He cautiously withdrew his wand and went to the window, looking out but seeing nothing.

"Show him your face," Hermione whispered, poking him in the shoulder.

Harry hesitated for a moment watching Snape and still not trusting him. Hermione sighed and told him to be quiet. Then she slid off the hood of her cloak and let her face peak through. It was almost comical the way Snape jumped back at the sight of her. He looked around and then unlocked the large window, allowing Harry to fly through.

"Miss Granger, what do you think you're doing here?" he hissed, quickly locking it behind them. "You could've been seen by anyone. Maybe you don't value your life but I-,"

"I wasn't followed," she interrupted, "I flew here under an invisibility cloak."

He glared at her. "What for?" he asked through clenched teeth.

She walked closer to him and lowered her voice. "We need your help. Do you have any idea where Vol… the Dark Lord went when he left Malfoy Manor?"

He drew back and stared at her with bleak black eyes. "No, but before he went back to headquarters he paid me a visit here. Or actually I guess it would be more accurate to say that he paid Professor Dumbledore's portrait a visit. He wouldn't tell me what they talked about."

Hermione bit her lip and looked behind her at where she knew Harry and Ron were standing. Then she turned back to him. "We're in trouble. You know that mission that Professor Dumbledore gave Harry?"

Snape sneered. "Let me guess. He botched it."

"No, I botched it," she said quietly, "I tried to resist his legilimency, but I was weak. _He _found out about the mission and that's why he left. To… _move_… the objects we need to defeat him."

It was difficult not to simply tell him, but if his mind was invaded he would be killed for knowing. Unfortunately, Snape knew more about the Dark Arts than even Bellatrix Lestrange. So he pieced together very quickly the only likely explanation and sucked in a breath.

"Horcruxes?" he whispered. "How many?"

"He split his soul seven times. There's six horcruxes altogether. The diary, the ring, Slytherin's locket, that pet snake of his, Ravenclaw's diadem, and Hufflepuff's cup," she recited. "We've destroyed the ring and the diary and we have a locket but it was switched out by someone with the initials R.A.B. We don't know where the real locket is, but thankfully neither does he."

It was such a relief to be able to talk to someone about this. Someone who might be able to help them.

Snape turned away from her, thinking very hard. What to tell them? He glanced at Dumbledore's portrait and saw that it was empty. Figures.

"R.A.B you say?" he asked her quietly and she nodded. "Well, I guess that would explain why he went missing all those years ago."

"Who?" she pressed, with growing excitement.

"Regulas Arcturus Black," he said, sneering faintly. Anything connected with Sirius he pretty much hated. "Regulas joined the Deatheaters a year after I did. Officially. We were already Deatheaters before that in every way but name. A few years later, he disappeared. We assumed he'd been killed, but no one would admit to it because of his family connections."

"He had been," Hermione said, "But, not before he found out His secret and hid the real horcrux. What do you know?"

He curled his lip. "I know nothing other than that he was here right before he returned to headquarters. I know that he was… very angry with Potter's little jail break." His eyes scanned the room as if looking for two invisible figures.

"They don't trust you yet," she pointed out. "Do you know anything about Ginny?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't called back for his wrath, I just felt it. The Dark Mark is more than just a symbol of loyalty or a way to contact him. It binds you to him in certain ways. That's why we could feel him before he regained his body. He wasn't truly dead."

She looked repulsed. "Can he force someone to take it?"

He shook his head. "It has to be taken freely. Did you ever consider that the horcruxes were here?"

She looked thoughtful. "We always assumed that Dumbledore would have known." Her temper rose. "Where did he _go_?" she muttered, looking down at the carpet.

"Does it really matter? The only important question is where would he hide them _now_? Did he put them all here? Or did he take them all away with him somewhere else?"

She bit her lip and stared down at the floor. "We have to look," she said after awhile.

"It's dangerous," he said, "The Carrows are here as well as Draco Malfoy, who I believe is under the Imperius Curse. Others stop by sometimes also."

"Can't we do something about Draco? Isn't there a counter curse?"

"There is no counter curse for any of the Unforgivables. However, Draco is fighting it and I know that fighting it doesn't make you weaker. Your strength grows. Lucius possibly could be persuaded to remove it, but it would be risky. He's become more unbalanced as of late."

"That's a feat," she muttered. He was already pretty crazy. "We have to go," she said abruptly, walking over to the broomstick and her cloak and putting it on. "But, we'll be back. If you think of anything…," her voice drifted and she felt Harry mount the broom in front of her.

"Next week is the Halloween feast followed by a party of sorts," he informed with a look of distaste on his face.

"When did that start?" she asked. There was usually only a feast.

"Some of the adults are bored and wish to liven things up a bit," he said stiffly, "But, attendance is mandatory so the rest of the castle will be empty."

She nodded and poked Harry to get going. "We'll try, but don't count on it." She didn't trust him 100 percent. Then they flew out of the window, becoming completely invisible as they rose.

"This news isn't good," a voice said behind him after they had departed.

"You don't say," Snape replied sarcastically, swinging around to view Dumbledore's portrait to which he had just returned. "I should've known that you would be listening."

"I didn't want Harry to become distracted by my presence. He has to rely on those around him that are living now."

They were silent for a moment.

"You didn't tell them that there would be the usual Deatheater activities at this party."

He clenched his jaw. "I didn't want Potter getting any heroic ideas. I'm instituting a mandatory curfew of midnight for all fourth years and above. The younger years will be in bed and the older ones won't see much."

Dumbledore looked sad. "They shouldn't have to see anything."

"Well, it's the best I can do," Snape snapped, taking out his wand and preparing to leave the office. "This is war. People see things." And then he left to go and roam the halls like he did every night, making sure everything was in order. And maybe this time he kept an extra sharp eye out for anything resembling an old cup or a tiara.

**Alright, this chapter is short, but at least now they know who RAB is and can move on with their quest. I'll free Draco soon. Should I have his mom help or just have him break free by himself? I'm thinking the latter.**

**I'll bring Kreacher into it soon so that they will be able to find the locket and destroy it. I might just keep the Ministry scene from the books or have that play out when they come back to Hogwarts next week. Maybe a Deatheater found the locket instead of Toad-face and Harry has to fight his way through Hogwarts?**

**I would only do that if the trio didn't need to come back ever. I don't want to screw myself plot-wise. **

**Either way next chapter will be interesting.**


	35. Halloween part 1

**Wow, I just got back into the mood to write this story. It's taken about a week to make sure the chapter is alright otherwise I would've posted earlier. Sorry about the gap in posts but I kinda got a little bored. Now I'm good again. There's going to be a time jump soon which should hurry the story along so it doesn't drag out and get boring.**

**Enjoy! **

Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be to infiltrate the castle. They got in through the headmaster's office which Snape had kindly left unlocked.

"This doesn't prove anything, Hermione," Harry whispered, "He could've just as easily left it open to trap us. It'll take more than an unlocked window to get me to trust him."

She just rolled her eyes and didn't say anything. Ron was shivering and darting glances at every shadow in the hall. Even though they had their invisibility cloaks, it didn't mean that a skilled Deatheater wouldn't be able to detect them. Snape had always seemed to sense Harry when he was near, probably due to Legilimency. She couldn't take that chance.

When they were deep enough into the castle to pause for a moment, Hermione looked over at the boys. Should they go to Gryffindor tower? Or the Room of Requirement? No one from their house would turn them in, but it would be a burden for any student to have to keep that secret. They decided Room of Requirement and sealed themselves inside it five minutes later.

There was everything they could possibly want except for food. Clothes, beds, bathrooms… she sighed and crashed down onto a red velvet sofa, closing her eyes in contentment. The boys did the same thing. It was like old times for one brief second. And then memories of Lucius, Sirius and Avery filtered in and she realized it could never be like old times again. There was too much darkness in her life. Inside her.

"Where should we start looking?"

"The cup, the diadem, and the locket," Harry recited quietly. "Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Maybe we should visit each house common room and see if we can find anything?"

"I don't think You-Know-Who would live bits of his soul lying around where little children could toss them about or drink out of them," she pointed out and Harry exhaled loudly in frustration.

"We don't even know if they _are_ here or if they _were_ here. He could've taken them to Malfoy Manor."

Hermione calmly sat up and looked at both of them. "We knew when we started this that it could take a long time, years possibly. We simply have to rule out Hogwarts. Once we do that, we are one step closer to narrowing down the location. Harry, what do you remember about the memories Dumbledore showed you?"

He frowned. "I remember everything. He used his good looks to fool an old lady into letting him in her house. Once he was able to get the cup and locket, he killed her. I don't have a memory of the diadem," he said quietly. "The ring he got from his uncle after he killed his father. That's all I know."

"Where did he hide each the horcruxes originally?" she asked. "I know the locket was in the lake with the Inferi. The diary was given to Lucius Malfoy to keep safe."

"Dumbledore found the ring in the Gaunt house, under floorboards. And of course the snake is always by his side."

She hadn't even brought up Nagini since there was nothing they could do about it until the very end. They would most likely be killed trying to destroy her. "Why was Lucius the only one he trusted with a piece of his soul? I thought the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Jr. were his most loyal followers?"

Harry sat up and looked at his friends. "They were," he said, a touch of excitement coloring his voice. "I bet you anything he gave Bellatrix one. She's insanely obsessed with him. He must have figured that she would die before letting anything happen to it. Not that he would care," he added darkly.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "If I had to be around that bitch every day I wouldn't care if she died either." She would hate that woman until the day she died for touching Sirius.

The two boys gave each other significant looks at her callousness. The Hermione they knew would never have said that. She ignored them, afraid that if she didn't she would blow up.

"I don't get how any of this matters," Ron interjected. "We already know he's moved them from the old places."

"Once we know where he _had_ them, then we can know where not to look."

"Harry," Hermione said suddenly, "I think maybe you should take a peak." They both knew what she was talking about.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "You never want me to connect with him. Why the sudden change?"

She sighed. "I think if you relax he won't feel you. Like when you're sleeping. If you can just get even a clue, we would have something to go on."

"But I don't want to mess up," he protested. "If he senses me, he'll retaliate and I won't even feel him."

"Well, don't you think it's about time you learned Occlumency? The wizarding world is at stake. We're not at school anymore, Harry."

He stared at her, hurt and shocked at what she'd said to him. "I'm sorry that I'm not living up to your expectations, Hermione. Don't you think I've tried? I want to. I just can't."

She didn't understand that. Maybe she should've been harder on him during school. Scowling, she leaned back against the sofa and started thinking. "I think our best bets are the Chamber of Secrets, the Room of Requirement, and Snape's office."

Ron gaped at her like she was a loon. "The Chamber of Secrets? Hermione, are you insane? Do you remember what happened the last time we had to deal with it?"

"No I don't since I was petrified," she snapped, standing up and pulling her cloak around her shoulders. "Harry killed the basilisk, Ron. There's nothing down there that can kill us anymore."

Harry looked thoughtful. "I think you're right, Hermione. He's the heir of Slytherin. It belongs to him and is one of the safest places in Hogwarts. I mean, unless you're a Parselmouth you can't open it."

"Alright so we're looking there first," Hermione confirmed.

Over an hour later, she was hissing in frustration. There weren't _any_ horcruxes in the Chamber, at least none that they could see. Harry spoke every command he could think of to open any secret doors, and behind them were amazing things… just not the things they were looking for.

"I guess it makes sense," Harry said dejectedly, "He knows that I've already found this place. I suppose he wouldn't leave the horcruxes here."

Ron was eyeing the basilisk corpse with great interest. "Wow, this thing is huge. I can't believe you killed it, Harry." He jumped back with a yelp as a couple teeth loosened from the dead mouth and clattered to the floor.

"Watch out," Hermione warned, "just because it's dead doesn't mean that the venom can't kill you. It was able to kill a bit of You-Know-Who's soul." She eyed the teeth thoughtfully and walked closer, rubbing her bottom lip with one finger. She bent down and picked two off the floor and carefully sealed the venom inside with a spell. Then she put it in her bag.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Basilisk venom is a powerful thing. It may come in useful one day." She remembered something she'd read in the dark arts book she'd gotten from the Malfoy's library. There was a particularly nasty potion in there that called for a bit of basilisk venom although she wasn't quite sure what it was supposed to do. As it was only one of two potions in the book however, she had memorized it and a part of her was very curious.

"We need to move on," she said. "Put everything useful that you can find inside the bag and let's go."

"But, Hermione, most of this stuff is Slytherin's. It's dark," Ron protested.

"There might be something useful, something that gives us further insight into the Da—I mean, You-Know-Who's mind. If nothing else, it keeps him and his Deatheaters from getting their hands on it."

Harry could see that Hermione was not the same girl they had known before, but truthfully, after what Voldemort had done to her and Ginny he didn't care. She was right. He was a master of the Dark Arts and maybe, in order to beat him, they had to become a little more knowledgeable themselves. He looked at Ron.

"He's got Ginny," he said darkly. Ron clenched his jaw and looked away.

"Fine. Let's get whatever we need if it'll help us."

They managed to pack up some books, some dusty potions, and get a couple more basilisk fangs. Once the Chamber was closed they had to get back to the Room of Requirement and get it to open and they had to do it while not getting caught.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione said nervously. They'd been standing in the hallway for twenty minutes and they were pushing their luck. They'd already been inside twice, but not to the room they wanted. "Think of the room where all things are lost. Concentrate."

"I'm trying," he gritted out, and then magically a door materialized in front of them. He opened it and motioned the others inside. "This is it," he breathed, looking around in wonder at everything that was in there.

"Let's separate and start searching," Hermione told them. "Remember look for a cup and a diadem. I don't think the locket will be in here, but look for it anyway."

During her search, she found something interesting. Sticking out of an old broken school desk, was a red ribbon. Her curiosity was piqued and she stopped and opened the drawer. There was an old, thick envelope laying there slightly crumpled and yellowed with age. She pulled it out and read the front, gasping in surprise.

_Regulus Arcturus Black_

_Number 12 Grimmauld Place_

_London, England_

The ribbon was attached to some sort of invitation that was inside and she quickly pulled it out and opened it. The words were gold embossed and slightly raised on the parchment.

_You are cordially invited to attend the birthday of Miss Elspeth Rosier on the fifteenth of August, 1978. Kindly RSVP by the twenty-fifth of July._

She looked it over once more and then put it back inside the envelope. Regulus had been inside this room all those years ago. It was weird considering their mission somewhat concerned him and she just happened to find his thrown away invitation to a birthday party. Why was it crumpled up? She smiled a little. Maybe he didn't like Elspeth Rosier, she thought.

But, it was dated a year before he died. The party was right before he would start his seventh year. Maybe he was already having doubts about being a Deatheater at that time. It certainly seemed that this party was something he didn't want to attend.

Thinking of Regulus made her think of Sirius and she abruptly put the envelope back in the drawer. For a moment, sadness welled up in her chest and she couldn't breathe.

And then it was gone and she didn't feel anything.

Turning around, she walked on, looking over everything, but in the end the three were defeated. Harry and Ron were tired and angry.

"I don't think anything's here," Harry said. "He must have come to the school to get a horcrux and take it somewhere else."

Ron looked down at the floor. "We should go then since the Great Hall's full of Deatheaters. Do you think-," he broke off uncomfortably and looked away.

"What?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"Well, it's just that… maybe we should see what they're doing in there. What if they're torturing Muggles or something? Or students?"

Harry looked scared but angry. "I was thinking that actually. We've done nothing so far but cause everyone pain. Hiding in the woods and at Bill's house wasn't how I pictured defeating Vvv—You-Know-Who."

Hermione looked between them incredulously and held up a hand. "Are you two insane? We can't apparate or disapparate within Hogwarts boundaries and we're outnumbered probably at least three to one. This isn't the time to be a hero, Harry."

She immediately began walking toward the door with Harry hot on her heels.

"What's wrong with you? Ever since we got you back, you've been acting weird."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I didn't survive at Malfoy Manor all those months just to die here. If that bothers you then I'm sorry."

He flushed but didn't let up. "I'm serious, Hermione. You can talk to us you know. We're your best friends."

"There is nothing wrong with me," she snapped, whirling around furiously. "I wonder sometimes what's wrong with you. Your bravery is commendable to a point, Harry, but after that it borders on stupidity. There is nothing more important than finding the horcruxes and killing Him. What does it matter if you save five people only to die in the end?"

Harry was silent as she spoke, but Ron looked anxious. "Hermione, we're all tired-,"

Harry held up a hand. "No, let her talk. Obviously, she has something to say."

Hermione was frustrated and knew that this was getting them nowhere. "Let's just get out of here," she muttered, turning to the door. She cracked it open to make sure no one was waiting for them and saw that it was safe.

Harry cast an angry glance at Hermione before walking past her in angry silence. She sighed and caught up with him. "Harry, don't be angry. If it wasn't so dangerous you know that I would be all for it."

"I'm going down to the Great Hall, Hermione," he said through clenched teeth. "I can't just sit around and do nothing and we both know that nothing good is happening down there. My so-called stupidity is what got you out of Malfoy's house."

That stung a bit and she flushed as she remembered what she'd been doing just before Ron had shown up and seen her and Avery. She hadn't asked for his help and had been doing fine before he came.

Her heart pounded and she exhaled in frustration. She couldn't just let him go. He'd get killed for sure. There was only one thing she could do.

"Fine," she said, conceding defeat and gesturing to him to go in front, "but try not to do anything stupid."

He smiled briefly and squeezed her hand. "Thanks Hermione." His face conveyed how much it meant to him that she was backing him up and she swallowed.

She didn't want to do this but he left her no choice. Her arm rose and she sent a nonverbal spell that hit both of them in the backs. They instantly collapsed on the floor, unconscious. She exhaled in a rush and quickly levitated their bodies with the cloaks draped over them. The wands she put in her pocket. They were going to hate her after this, she knew, but at least they'd be alive.

Now all she had to do was get them back to the Headmaster's office without being seen and get the hell out of here. That was easier said than done. The closer she got to the Great Hall the more she heard screams coming from it, but she refused to stop while she had Harry and Ron with her. It would be suicide.

From the Marauders Map she'd found a shortcut to the tower which lessened her chances of being captured by Deatheaters on the way. Depositing the bodies on the floor, she sighed and rubbed her eyes. She felt so tired, like the fight would never end. And angry that it was up to them.

Her narrowed eyes swung to the side, to Dumbledore's empty portrait. Seething, she clenched her fist and walked over to it, studying it for a moment before speaking.

"Professor?" she said as politely as she could under the circumstances. No answer. She clenched her jaw. "Professor?"

"He doesn't want to talk to you, Mudblood," Phineas Nigellus Black sneered.

She glanced at him coldly. "Well, I don't believe that _I_ was talking to _you_. Mind your own business."

He was outraged that she had spoken to him with such disrespect. "If I were alive, girl, I would string you up by your dirty little thumbs and beat the insolence out of you. How dare a mudblood speak to me, a Black, in such a way? Why in my day we would've-,"

Sparks flew from her fingers to assault his canvas and he yelled and jumped out of the way. She laughed and lowered her arm.

"I don't believe you are in any position to insult me, Black." She raised an eyebrow when he glared at her, but before she could retaliate, a voice she knew well spoke to her from her left.

"Hermione."

She jerked her head toward the sound and was pleased to see Dumbledore back in his portrait. He didn't look happy with her.

"I need your help Professor," she said, "What do you know about the locket that Regulus stole from You-Know-Who? The one that you and Harry found is a fake."

He shook his head. "I don't know anything about it. I didn't even know it was a fake."

"Well, do you know where He took the other horcruxes when he was here?"

Again he shook his head and her temper rose. "Is there anything at all, Professor, that you could tell us that might help?"

He sighed. "Hermione, he was here and he does have all the horcruxes now. I have no idea where he would've taken them, although, I do believe he will keep them as close as possible for awhile."

"Stop hiding things from me, Professor."

"The objects that I bequeathed you, Harry, and Ron were supposed to of some use."

She was surprised. "Harry never mentioned anything."

"I suppose he forgot to tell you when you were rescued."

She pushed aside the embarrassment of having Dumbledore know what had happened to her and instead thrust her hand into the bag and started pulling out things.

"I left the sword of Gryffindor to Harry, but our late Minister took it back."

She kept searching but asked, "Why? He _did_ pull it out of the hat in the Chamber of Secrets, but—,"

He smiled gently. "And what did he use it for that night?"

She felt something odd and pulled it out, studying it even as she answered. "To kill the basilisk." It kind of looked like a cigarette lighter, but when she opened it all the lights in the room went out. She was surprised and opened it again. The lights returned to their proper places.

"Yes," Dumbledore continued, looking at what she was holding. "By the way, that is my Deluminater. I left it to Mr. is very special."

She looked at it curiously. "What else does it do?"

He smiled. "That, Miss Granger, is very hard to explain. To put it as simply as possible, it is a light in the darkness. A guide when one is lost."

Leave it to Dumbledore to mystify even the simplest of questions. She put it back in the bag. "So you gave Harry the sword because he killed the basilisk? That doesn't make sense."

"I am not trying to be secretive, Miss Granger. I hope you know that." He looked down at her from his portrait, his spectacles sliding down somewhat.

She most certainly did _not_ know that. It was in his nature to be secretive.

"Horcruxes can only be destroyed by certain magical means. Trying to physically harm it or destroy it the regular way will not work."

Her eyes widened excitedly. "And the sword of Gryffindor will? That means that," she paused and looked down at her bag, remembering the diary, "basilisk fangs work also. But, what else? We don't know where the sword is and we need a back-up in case something happens to the fangs we have."

He looked at her seriously. "That, Miss Granger, I cannot help you with." He paused and this time the look on his face was sterner and much more serious. "You've been exposed to dark magic, Hermione. It is corrupting you."

Her demeanor changed and she sneered. "It wasn't my fault. Someone did it to me. But, the nature of the spell does come in handy. It heightens my instincts and magical abilities. We can use that right now since there's no one else to help us."

He shook his head. "It may seem like a good thing, but it is not. A person cannot stay the same while under the influence of dark magic. You will change Hermione and I would venture to say that you might even do harm to your friends. Is there no counter-curse?"

She looked angrily at him and clenched a fist. "Yes, there is. Something about true love. I broke it once and Avery put it on me again; now there is no hope."

"Why not?"

"Because my 'true love' is married to someone else and hates me now."

"Then perhaps he was never truly in love with you. Or maybe the identity of your true love has changed." Dumbledore looked down at her sadly. "It sounds like a curse I have heard of before and it is very dark. That is why the antidote for it so to speak is love. It is almost impossible for someone who gives in to dark magic to love. It goes against the very grain of their soul. You will have to fight very hard to reclaim yourself."

She looked at him insolently and laughed, not very happily. "And when exactly do you think I'll have the time for that, Professor? Between fighting Him and searching for horcruxes there's no time to fight against anything else."

"Then I'm afraid there will be little hope for you."

His blunt words sounded harsh and self-righteous to her, though in reality they were sad and very truthful. She could hear none of that at the moment and finally lost the control she had been trying to hold onto for months. Her pent of frustration lashed out at him.

"Where do you get off talking to me like that? You're _dead_. You got yourself killed at the most crucial time of this war and left us to deal with everything." She would've been crying if she could've. "Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"

A tear slipped from the corner of his eye, but he answered her with a steady voice. "When? When he was a mere child, still possibly good? You'd have me murder a little boy?"

"Yes," she hissed vehemently, "Better a stain on your soul than one on the world. It could have all been prevented. I know you knew there was something wrong with him. He _killed_ someone while he was a student here, after he murdered his remaining family. How could you let him become this monster?"

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said in a low voice, "I know that this is my fault… but what is done is done. Can't you understand that? You are quite possibly the second most intelligent student I've come across in my entire life of teaching, the first being Tom Riddle. If anyone can understand how he manipulated over half a century of people of all ages it would be you."

"I do understand," she said coldly, "I understand that what you've said would make sense if it weren't for Grindelwald. It's not like Tom Riddle was the first boy you came across that spouted this pure-blood mania nonsense. You should have already been wise to it."

His eyes flashed with pain. "_Don__'__t_ compare _him_ to Gellert. They may have shared the same basic ideals but they were extremely different. I was young and stupid. I believe that I rectified my mistake by defeating him and putting him away for life. He's there, in Nurmengard, even now. Throwing past mistakes in my face won't help you, Hermione."

"No," a low, silky voice said from behind her, "it won't."

XXXXX

Ginny sat in Malfoy's library at a table close to a window. The book was open but she stared outside. There was nothing else for her to do but read. Lavender had just been married to Theodore Nott and Parvati was showing her pregnancy. Just being around her reminded Ginny of her fate.

Besides, Parvati had it almost as bad as Ginny did. Well, she used to anyway. It would seem logical that the three girls would band together in their dark times, but in reality it was not that way. Lavender was her best friend and had been since before they were both captured. They had been in this hell long before Ginny and had no need to stretch their emotions to include another human being.

She couldn't blame them.

The door opened and she looked up, paling when she saw Bellatrix sashaying through it. She wanted to stand, but couldn't. What did she want? Her dark blue eyes were glued to the older woman as she came nearer and finally, with the threat of being cornered, Ginny found the courage to stand up.

"Hello, dearie. All alone?"

Ginny really wanted to say no, but she looked around and realized that it would be stupid. "Avery knows where I am." Her throat was dry and she licked her lips.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and looked around the library. "It doesn't really matter if he knows where you are or not. I'm faster than he is." And then she laughed wickedly at Ginny's expression and looked down at the table. "What is this?" She flipped the book over and raised an eyebrow coyly. "Is someone being a naughty girl?"

Ginny shook her head quickly and protested. "I'm just bored. It's not like I can actually use any of the spells. I don't have a wand."

Bellatrix kept the smile on her face and flipped through the book, stopping on page 53. "Try this one." She cut off the redhead's protest by sticking her wand out, handle first, toward Ginny. "Use mine."

Was she joking? She looked down at it, but didn't dare touch it. "I'm not touching your wand. This is some sort of trick."

She huffed as if Ginny's words were completely unfounded. "I'm _very_ bored. Since the Dark Lord's displeasure with the rest of his followers, there's nothing for me to do. My sister is very boring."

Ginny looked at her blankly. "Which one?"

Bellatrix laughed loudly. "Both of them. And with Draco gone and Potter yet to resurface… and house arrest… there's nothing to do."

Ginny smiled very weakly. "There's Parvati. She's pregnant."

She sniffed in disdain. "I'm not overly fond of children, even while they're in the womb. Now take my wand and try the spell or I will curse you."

Ginny quickly closed her hand around the woman's wand and slowly took it from her. It didn't feel as it should. It felt… normal. A wand that had been used for such unspeakable evil should at least send out vibes or something, but it didn't.

Trying to do a spell in front of Bellatrix was like trying to do one at school in front of the entire class—only worse. Ginny was smart and powerful, but when it came to books, she found them a tad boring. That was Hermione's arena. Hers was… other stuff. Now, standing in front of one of the most dangerous Deatheaters, it was hard to concentrate.

Is she going to curse me if I fail? she wondered, nervously. Her stomach churned.

"Hurrry up," Bellatrix snapped, "I haven't got all day."

Ginny took a deep breath and concentrated. Then she waved the wand and said the words. Dark purple light shot out and collided with the nearest tower of books. Splinters of paper and wood flew everywhere and Ginny ducked as debris rained down on both of them. When everything settled down, she looked up and saw Bellatrix still standing and grinning with everything in disarray. It was ten times more powerful than the Reducto spell and had decimated the entire room and knocked down the wall dividing the library from the room next to it. That room was also completely destroyed. She even thought she saw into the room adjoining that one as well from another caved in wall.

"Now, just think what would've happened had you been using your own wand."

Ginny looked horrified. "Lucius Malfoy is going to kill me," she whispered, her face growing pale. "I've destroyed his house and ruined his library."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and jerked the wand out of Ginny's hand. "Lucius is a fool and couldn't kill a mouse. This is hardly unfixable. What do they teach you in that school anyway?" With a few waves of her wand, the room was back in order and the wall was repaired.

Ginny most certainly did not believe that Lucius was harmless. "Well, Draco—,"

"Soft," his aunt said crass and loud, cutting her off and beginning to wander again. Then she looked at her slyly. "You don't fancy him, do you?"

Ginny was disgusted. "No, I hate him. He's horrible." What was with crazy people wandering around rooms?

"You looked surprised that you pulled off the spell? Why should you? You're pureblood aren't you?"

Ginny blinked at the sudden change in topic. "Yes. But, Herm-," she broke off at the mention of her name and stood there uncomfortably.

Bellatrix laughed. "What, the Mudblood?" She waved her hand away dismissing her. "Booksmarts won't get you _everywhere_. You think the Dark Lord spends all his time reading books?" She looked at her scornfully. "When I was in school, I was an excellent student and I rarely read anything. The measure of a witch's power isn't how much she reads."

Ginny couldn't even believe she was asking this question from a lunatic. "Then how do you measure a witch or wizard's power?"

Bellatrix sauntered back around, closer to Ginny, with a smirk on her face. "It's all in the gut. How fast your instincts are, your reaction to threats. Your ability to force people to see your point of view." The devilish smile was back.

"I think a truly great person can get people to follow him-or her- without force. People will just want to," Ginny responded, her breath quickening as she prepared to possibly get cursed for her insolence.

But, surprisingly, Bellatrix just smiled coyly. "I agree."

Surprise was written all over Ginny's face.

"Do you really think the Dark Lord ever forced anyone to follow him?"

Names flew through Ginny's head, but she actually couldn't think of anyone to refute Bellatrix's question.

"Though I am loathe to even speak the names of traitors in my own house, look at my sister, Andromeda or my cousin, Sirius. The Dark Lord never even attempted to recruit them even though they are purebloods. _Because_ _he_ _didn__'__t_ _need_ _them.__"_

It was frustrating because she was right and try as she might, Ginny couldn't think of anyone who was forced to serve the—You-Know-Who. Peter Pettigrew was bullied probably, but he was also a conniving rat who was seduced by the power of the other side.

"He's used the Imperius Curse on people," Ginny pointed out lamely. "That's the same thing."

"And he always takes it off when he's finished with them. They are simply a means to an end, not true followers." And they usually met a sticky end.

Ginny turned away from her in frustration. "I don't like people who are manipulative. Professor Dumbledore never hurt anyone or killed them for no reason. People loved him."

Instead of anger, she heard loud laughter behind her and she whirled around, angrily. "What?"

Bellatrix attempted to sober up, but it was difficult. "And what exactly do you think he was doing all these years? _Not_ manipulating Potter?" She pointed her wand at a bookcase on the opposite wall and held out her hand to catch the book that flew from it. Then she looked slyly at Ginny and placed it on the table. "I know us girls aren't exactly bookworms, but I really think you'll find this one… _enlightening_ to say the least."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's full of lies," Ginny said stiffly. She eyed the book with it derision.

Bellatrix laughed that annoying laugh again. "You're precious Dumbledore? A liar?" And with that she exited the room, still laughing mockingly, and leaving Ginny speechless and alone.

She walked over to the table and looked down at the large salmon-colored book.

_Muggles and Muggleborns: Why They Are Inferior and How Best to Dominate Them_

_By _

_Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald_

What!

**Don't worry. This is at least a two part chapter. The next will be up soon. Hermione's being bitchier than usual because of the dark magic. She's getting pissed off at Dumbledore for making this harder than it had to be. How pissed are the boys going to be when they wake up? Hmmm. I'm thinking very.**

**The next chapter's not set in stone because there are two ways I'm thinking of going with it, so I don't want to say anything that will be wrong. **

**Bye!**


	36. Halloween part II

**Whew! It's been awhile and I'm feeling that this chapter might be a little rusty on grammar and such. Sorry it's been so long. This is sort of another filler chapter.**

Hermione whirled around, heart pounding in fear and saw Snape standing there. Thank God he was alone. He shut the door behind h and him quietly and then strode over to her quickly.

"Have you quite finished, Miss Granger? Where's Potter and Weasely?"

Something in his voice reminded her of when she'd been in school and she answered him quickly, though with an irritated edge. "I had to stun them."

His face only changed slightly into one of surprise. "Whatever for?"

"Harry wanted to go sneaking around the Great Hall. We heard the screams," she added. Her tone was defensive and reproachful at the same time.

Snape's lip curled into a sneer. "Well done, Miss Granger. For once your bossy, know-it-all attitude has come in handy. I would rather not have Potter get caught and waste an entire lifetime of work on my part. Did you find anything?"

She stifled her outrage at his insults and answered him as politely as she could under the circumstances. "There was nothing."

There was a subtle hint of disappointment in his eyes and he stared pensively out at the night sky. "Then he was here collecting them, not hiding them." He paused for a moment. "He'll keep them at Malfoy Manor from now on, as close to his person as possible."

Her frustration mounted daily at this task they'd been given. Snape flicked his eyes downward.

"You might want to Obliviate them. I doubt they'll thank you for saving their lives."

That was going a little too far in her opinion and her expression conveyed that as she levitated her friends' unconscious forms into the air. She was going to have to fly while keeping control of them otherwise… it would not be pretty.

The quickness of her breath increased as she mounted her broom. Before she took off however she glanced over at Dumbledore' s portrait. It was empty. Of course, she sneered.

She didn't look back as she slowly (and unsteadily) flew out the window, keeping her wand trained carefully on the two pairs of shoes that were sticking out from the robes.

But, surprising enough, it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. With her magic increased in strength, multitasking was soooo much easier. She stepped onto the soft grass in her backyard and lamented that her flying skills weren't also improved. Then she raised her arm and roused the boys from their unconscious state.

They were groggy and confused as they both sat up and looked around. " 'Mione? What happened?"

She bit her lip nervously and shifted her stance. "You were both stunned right after we left the Room of Requirement. I flew us back to my house. We should get inside."

Harry rubbed his eyes under his glasses, still not understanding. "We were attacked? But, how did you get us out?"

She would not lie. She would not lie. She would not not lie.

"Please don't be mad at me," she whispered, begging them with her eyes to understand.

They looked at her in confusion, but it was slowly dawning on them what had happened and Harry stood up, shaking his head in anger and disbelief. "Are you telling me that _you're_ the one who stunned us? Hermione, please tell me that's not what you're saying."

"It was me."

His face colored with anger and Ron looked at her in shock.

"I didn't want you to get killed, Harry. Or you Ron. It was stupid to go down there, but you wouldn't listen. I had no choice," she added, with a slight desperation in her tone. "You're so stubborn sometimes."

"You had no choice?" he snarled, moving closer. "Here's a choice for you—how about listening to me and trusting me that I'm doing the right thing. We could've saved those people, Hermione, whoever they were. We might have had to fight our way out, but it would've been worth it."

"Harry, we wouldn't have gotten out and then we would've been killed too. I know it's hard, but-,"

"Where's my wand?" he interrupted suddenly, checking his pockets.

She handed it to him and gave Ron his. "You're not going to curse me are you?" she asked jokingly.

And then to her shock, he leveled his wand at her face. She backed away nervously, raising her hands.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

"You're under the Imperius Curse. That's the only explanation. It would also explain how fond you are of Snape."

She stared at him in shock. "I'm not under a curse, for crying out loud. I was just being smart."

"The Hermione I know would never have chosen to save her own skin while sacrificing others."

Her face flushed. "I didn't sacrifice anyone, Harry Potter. They were dead the second they were dragged to that castle."

He shook his head. "I can't trust you anymore." He raised his wand and looked at her sadly. "This is for your own good until we figure out how to break the curse."

In a split second decision that she couldn't believe she made, she blocked his spell and sent one of her own careening straight toward him. "Obliviate!" It hit him in the chest and with only a second's hesitation she turned to Ron who was pale and lifting his wand. But it was too late.

She stared down at the pair of them, shaking. What the hell had she just done? If they ever found out, their friendship would be over. Harry would never forgive her.

Her jaw tightened with resolve. Then she would just have to make sure she did a very good job.

XXXXXXXXXX

It took awhile to make sure that she hadn't irreparably damaged Harry and Ron's brains. Also, it took two tries to get their newly modified memories right before she was satisfied.

It wasn't a big change. Hermione just wanted them to forget that it had been her who had Obliviated and stunned them. The easiest way to do that without adding a whole bunch of new memories was to simply take away the old ones of hearing screaming coming from the Great Hall, being stunned, and everything that came afterwards. She was very anxious to see what the results would be. After all, she'd never done this before.

"Hermione?" came a groggy voice from behind her and she whirled around to see Harry with Ron stumbling after him, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh thank goodness!" she exclaimed, forcing the relief into her voice, "I was so worried."

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?" she asked cautiously, with just a hint of curiosity.

They both looked off distantly, trying to remember. Ron spoke first.

"Just getting back to Dumbledore's office and then nothing." Ron looked puzzled and glanced over at Harry to confirm. Harry nodded.

"We're we attacked or something?"

Hermione had already thought this through and decided that the most believable story (lie) was one that was so simple people couldn't possibly not believe it. She stood up in a huff and walked over to them, arms crossed.

"Or something. You, Ron Weasely, are a giant klutz. If it wasn't for my quick reflexes, both you and Harry would be dead right now."

Ron gaped at her. "What are you talking about, Hermione?"

"I'm not quite sure. You slipped or something and knocked your broom into Harry's. I used magic to catch both of you and flew us back here. You must have knocked your heads together because you two have been out of it for a couple days."

Harry looked as though he didn't believe her. "Ron's an excellent flier and we both have played quidditch for years. There's no way that we just slipped off our brooms." Harry's face tightened. "Snape did something to us. It's the only explanation."

Hermione looked at him in irritation. "Well, Mr. Arrogant Smarty-pants, I saw it happen with my own eyes. Accidents happen," she shrugged, turning to put her book down. "Are you guys hungry?"

Harry just stared at her. "The guy can turn into a bat, Hermione. Is it totally out of the realm of possibility that he could've figured out a way to become invisible? Or that he was hiding in his office and you didn't see him?"

Hermione scowled and walked away. This wasn't at all what she'd been aiming at when she modified their memories. Should she try again? No. It could do damage to their brains and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Believe what you want. I know that Snape wasn't behind the fall, but I also know that I can't force you to see my side of things."

The boys seemed to relax at that and grudgingly followed her to the kitchen. Not eating for two days had made them ravenous. While they pigged out, Hermione watched them with a small smile. It wasn't what she'd hoped for, but everything seemed to be as it was before so she'd take it. Thank God, she didn't have to try for round three. Memory modifications were tricky business.

Now, she thought darkly, how the hell were they going to break into Malfoy Manor to get the horcruxes and finally end this miserable existence?

XXXXXXXXXX

_Halloween night_

Ginny had finally found a place that didn't seem to be a common meeting area for Deatheaters. It was on the opposite side of the dungeons and downstairs about two stories. Most of all, it was away from Voldemort and Avery and one of the only places that allowed her to be able to breathe. She didn't have to see anyone until nightfall until the walk back to her rooms when she was then required to fulfill her wifely duties. It was every night now, instead of the twice a week thing they'd had going on last month.

And she still wasn't pregnant. Even though she knew in the long run it would be better for her if she was, her happiness couldn't be stamped down. When she was alone, even down in this dank dark cavernous room, the weight of the world seemed to fall off her shoulders and she felt like her life wasn't so miserable.

Andromeda was pregnant. Her new friend Bellatrix wouldn't shut up about it. No one saw Andromeda anymore. She'd shut herself up in her room and refused to come out, but since she was finally pregnant, Voldemort didn't care. As long as she didn't kill herself, it was fine with him. Sirius spent most of time, either with her or with a bottle of firewhiskey in one of the parlors. His hair was longer and his face was paler then when she'd seen him before all this. Dark shadows under his made him look even more menacing than he'd used to. At least to her. She'd been a little frightened of him before, when they'd stayed at Grimmauld Place. The slightly maniacal look he'd acquired in Azkaban had never left him and now it was worse. Sometimes she'd hear him talking to himself—well, to Harry's parents at least, and it freaked her out.

Finally, a couple of weeks ago, she'd found this place and now spent most of her time here, reading books—at least, the interesting ones—and just daydreaming about the day when Voldemort when be killed. When that happened, everything would forgiven and swept under the rug, so to speak, and life could go on as it should have before the war.

That's why she was so happy that she wasn't pregnant.

Suddenly, a loud thud interrupted her musings and the old familiar rush of panic that made her sick came over her. Had Avery found her? Or the Dark Lord? She jumped up from the floor and rushed over to a corner to hide.

Instead of a cold, man's voice, she heard a light female one. "Hello?" The voice was a loud hush and Ginny darted a glance to see who it was.

From the clothes she wore, it seemed to be one of the younger girls who worked in the kitchen with the house elves. Poor thing must have been running from someone. But, what if she was sent here to find her? That was the last thing Ginny wanted.

But, then the girl turned away from her and lowered her head, shoulders shaking with muted sobs and Ginny's conscience couldn't take it anymore. She stepped cautiously out from the shadows and stood still.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was husky from lack of use.

The girl whirled around in fright at the sound and didn't relax when she saw who it was. "You're Ginny Weasely."

She nodded, not sure what she was supposed to do or say.

"Are—are you going to tell them where I am?" The other girl's voice sounded scared but resolved at the same time.

Ginny paused and then answered her. "Are you going to tell them where _I_ am?"

The two just stared at each other and then the blonde girl smiled in relief and shook her head. "No. I turned sixteen today and I'm hiding so that I don't have to go to that horrible place on the fifth floor. Where they keep the older girls."

Ginny made a face and moved to sit down on the old musty couch that sat in the middle of the room. She'd transfigured it herself from a decades old wooden box and motioned for the other girl to join her.

"What's your name?" she asked, still in a low voice.

"Merin Cooper."

Ginny frowned. "Cooper? That doesn't sound familiar. Are your parents Muggles?"

Merin's eyes flashed angrily. "Half-blood. My mother was a witch, a great witch, but she died a long time ago."

Ginny looked at her sadly. "Did You-Know-Who kill her?

Merin shook her head. "No, she died having my younger sister. Thank God, she's not here too." She shivered and looked around at the gloomy darkness.

"I can't wait for this to all be over," Ginny sighed, leaning her head against a fist. "Then I can go back to my parents and pretend all this never happened."

Merin looked over at her. "You think that somehow the Dark Lord will be defeated?" Her tone was filled with doubt.

Ginny looked at her strangely, before Merin realized what was wrong and gave a short laugh.

"They force us to call him that. Habit I suppose."

Ginny looked relieved and drew her legs up onto the sofa. "Of course, he'll be defeated. Harry is out there right now and if anyone knows of a way to kill You-Know-Who, it's him."

"Well, why didn't he kill him when he busted into this place to rescue Hermione Granger? And I thought you were his girlfriend. Why didn't he try and find you too?"

God, Merin was nosy. But, Ginny was so lonely that she didn't care at that moment. "I don't know. He has a plan, but he wouldn't tell me about it. Too dangerous," she added sarcastically, but secretly she was relieved. She didn't need another reason to be tortured. "I don't think the Dark Lord can be killed in the conventional way so dueling him won't be of any use." She used his title without even realizing it.

Merin sighed and leaned back. "Well, don't you think that if there was a way to kill the Dark Lord, he'd have made sure that no one would be able to find out what it was?"

Ginny's spirits grew even more depressed. "Yes, but everyone has a weakness, Merin, everyone." She fell silent and stared down at the old cracked floor.

Merin seemed to realize that she'd made the other girl sad and tried a different tack. "I'm sorry. I talk too much, Ginny. Don't listen to me."

Ginny sighed. "No, you have a point. Sometimes I wonder, even if the Dark Lord is defeated, will it ever happen during our lifetime?"

"Well, at least you don't have to be a whore," she pointed out, "There's that."

Ginny smiled thinly. "Yes, there's that." Somehow this girl was making her feel even more alone than she had before. Everything inside her refused to believe that this was going to be the rest of her life, but it was so hard to keep it up sometimes.

Suddenly, Merin laid a hand very lightly on her shoulder. Ginny tensed and turned her head. Tears glittered in the blonde's eyes. "It's horrible, isn't it? I try to be brave, but it's hard sometimes. I feel so alone."

Ginny looked at her and bit a lip. "Don't cry. It's okay. Whatever happens, you don't have to be alone. I'm here." She tried to smile, but it came out weak. "I come to this place almost every day. Maybe you can sneak away for a little bit at a time," she suggested.

Merin smiled in relief. "I would like that. We can talk about things. I'll tell you if I hear any news."

She stood up and looked behind her. "I better get back before they notice I'm gone and curse me or something. Tomorrow?"

Ginny nodded, feeling a small smile creep over her face. "Tomorrow." She stood as well. "Do you want me to walk you to the kitchen? I'm not much in the way of protection, but usually the other Deatheaters leave me alone for the most part. Except for Avery," she added bitterly. If they ran into him, there was no guarantee what would happen.

Merin cocked her head. "Your husband, right? He treats you badly?"

"That's an understatement," she answered bitterly, walking around the sofa. "He hates me for being a bloodtraitor. His sole joy in life is making mine as miserable as possible."

"Why don't you kill him?" Merin suggested quietly, darting a glance over shoulder as if there was a possibility someone had heard them two floors down. "There are ways to do it so that no one would suspect you."

Ginny couldn't believe her ears. "It's not like I haven't thought about it, but there's no way I would get away with doing something like that. The Dark Lord knows practically everything. He can see into people's minds." But, just then a thought occurred to her. Avery had put wards and spells on her to ensure that she didn't kill herself, but if she killed her husband, the Dark Lord would curse her for sure. The Killing Curse. And she would be free.

But, what if Harry succeeded?

Merin eyed her speculatively and sighed. "It's up to you, of course. Personally, I would rather use an Unforgivable on him than poison."

She'd dreamed of using the Cruciatus Curse on Avery. Torturing him until he bled out of every orfice and begged for his life. Sometimes she wondered if he would beg or if he had too much pride.

He would beg, she decided. All of the Deatheaters would. They feared death too much to go willingly.

Merin smiled a goodbye and turned to go, while Ginny sat back down on the sofa and ran a finger over her bottom lip in worry. Was this a trap? Maybe Avery sent Merin to find and spy on her. A sudden cold sweat broke out over her forehead. Would he do that? She'd seemed more relieved than scared and coerced into doing something for a Deatheater. Tomorrow, she would pay closer attention to the younger girl and see for herself.

It would be nice to have a real friend again, she thought wistfully. Ginny would just have to tell Merin firmly that killing Avery was out of the question. Just the thought of what he would do to her if he found out she was plotting against him was enough to make her want to vomit all over the sofa.

Ginny stayed down there a little while longer until it was absolutely necessary to leave and then she walked up the stairs and pushed open the door to the narrow, dark corridor. This was always the part she hated. Sometimes she was sure that there was something out there whispering to her, calling her name in the darkness.

She stopped and looked up at the candle that she always passed on her way to the main level and wondered if there was a way to get something down here to light it with. Maybe Merin knew of something from the kitchens.

Up ahead she saw the faint crack of light under the door that led to a deserted corridor on the main level and rushed over to it, bending an ear down to the keyhole to listen for any people walking by. There was nothing as usual so she slowly opened it, slipping out and shutting it quickly behind her.

If she walked quickly, she could make it back to her room before Avery did. It was always so much better than walking in on him. But, tonight a lot of the Deatheaters were gone, so there was a good chance that he wouldn't even come back 'til morning. Then she frowned. There was an equally good chance that he would come back and want to cause her as much pain as possible.

She hoped it was the former.

Suddenly, a brassy voice called out behind her. "What do we have here? Out for a midnight stroll?"

Ginny whirled around and saw Bellatrix, sauntering toward her, tapping her wand against the side of her neck. She wondered briefly if it was possible to accidentally curse yourself while doing that.

"It's only seven," Ginny pointed out quickly, "I was bored. There's no one my own age here to talk to."

Bellatrix pretended to look hurt. "Am I too old?"

Anxiety coursed through Ginny's body as she shook her head. "No, of course not, it's just that—why would you want to talk to me? I mean, I wouldn't think we'd have much—in common," she finished lamely, shifting her stance as if preparing to get cursed.

Bellatrix smiled. "Of course, I want to talk to you, dearie. And there's tons of kiddies here your own age to talk to." That made her laugh loudly.

Ginny grimaced. Yeah, the ones in the kitchen or upstairs. She took a breath and reminded herself that now she had Merin—just as soon as she made sure that she wasn't a spy—and therefore didn't need to make any more friends. In this place, one was enough. _They_ would use whatever they could against you, that much she'd learned.

Ginny smiled thinly at Bellatrix. "It's okay. I was just going back to my room to wait for Avery." She turned quickly, but was stopped by the other woman's voice again.

"Really? I thought maybe we could practice more spells. After all, you don't have a wand so you would need to borrow one. I have mine."

That was a tempting offer. Ginny missed using magic so much. But, last time she'd practiced a spell with Bellatrix, she'd destroyed three rooms and read a horrible book written by Dumbledore himself. She didn't want to spend any more time with her than necessary.

"I'm tired," she lied, "I think I'll just go to bed."

"Well, that's too bad because the Dark Lord requests your presence."

Ginny felt like the entire floor dropped out from beneath her. "What? But, why? You just said-,"

Bellatrix interrupted. "Well, we still could after my lord is finished with whatever he wants from you." She rolled her eyes and walked past her. "Come."

Ginny stared after her for a moment and then very, _very_ grudgingly followed behind her. Bellatrix hummed some sort of tune as they went and it grated on her nerves.

"Do you know what he wants? I haven't done anything. I don't know where Harry or the other are either." What else could he possibly want from her?

Bellatrix looked over her shoulder and smiled wickedly. "Well, maybe you're looking thinner than you should be. The Dark Lord is concerned."

"He's concerned about my weight?" she asked in confusion. That couldn't possibly be right.

"Maybe it's your lack of weight that is bothering him," Bellatrix suggested darkly.

Ginny paled. "I'm not pregnant. But, that's not my fault. Maybe I can't have children."

A dramatic sigh floated back to her ears. "You are a healthy young girl and Avery has already proven that he's more than capable of siring some brats. You're just not trying hard enough."

Tears rushed to Ginny's eyes. "I sleep with him every night. What more do you people want?" Rising hysteria bubbled in her chest and she fought down the urge to scream as they neared Voldemort's chambers.

Bellatrix stopped suddenly as if remembering something and looked at her. "If it helps, I know that Avery is on a mission and won't be back for a few more days."

Relief washed over Ginny's face. "Really? But, why are you telling me this? Why are you being nice to me?"

Bellatrix smiled strangely and tapped her wand again. "The Dark Lord ordered me to keep an eye on all you girls." At the apprehension and ridiculous spark of betrayal in Ginny's eyes, she added quickly, "But, the others are so boring and stupid, I can't stand to be around them more than necessary. Besides, you lacked a proper pureblood upbringing. How will you ever survive in society without my aid?"

What the hell was she talking about? Ginny was far more likely to die in Bellatrix's company than survive in it. But, she should have known that there were ulterior motives for her always hanging around and popping up when she least expected it. She was following Ginny on Voldemort's orders. Ginny would have to make doubly sure she was alone tomorrow when she went to her spot to meet Merin.

Bellatrix grabbed her wrist and pushed her into the room. A cold voice came from the shadows.

"Thank you, Bellatrix. You may go."

Ginny absurdly looked after her, eyes begging her to stay, but Bellatrix only grinned and shut the door behind her. She swung her eyes back around to wait for Voldemort's next words.

She didn't have long.

"I trust that you aren't feeling too neglected with your husband gone?"

The sneer that was in his voice would also be evident on his face, she was sure, and couldn't help the glare that crossed her own.

"Not at all, since I loathe him completely."

Voldemort laughed chillingly and finally came out into the dim light. "I hadn't guessed. I wonder, could that be the reason for your unwillingness to become with child?"

Her cheeks burned as they always did when discussing such matters with him. "I am unwilling and I do hate him, but as I understand it, personal feelings don't really matter as long as the act is performed. Maybe I can't have children." Please let it be so, she begged silently.

Voldemort sneered. "You're rather large family would suggest otherwise. Your mother had no trouble in conceiving."

Ginny glared at the floor. "My father didn't beat and curse her daily either."

"Interesting. Are you suggesting that I should order Avery to be kinder to you?"

"No," she said stubbornly. She didn't want help from any kind from him. . . but, of course, at the same time she did.

"Perhaps you still harbor hope for a relationship with Harry Potter? But, if that were true, then you would have left with him when he came to rescue you." He chuckled and moved around her slowly. "Maybe you don't want to leave," he suggested.

Ginny jerked her head over to glare at him. "This is the vilest place I've ever been in. I hate all of you. Why don't you kill me and get it over with?"

Voldemort laughed, if it could be called that. "You already know the answer to that, I think. Why do you suppose I haven't killed you yet?"

"Because," she said, voice cracking, "you need purebloods to breed like horses so you can have more Deatheaters. And you like tormenting me. It amuses you," she said bitterly.

"Yes," he agreed, "there is that. Something about seeing the abject terror in your eyes whenever I'm around makes me something akin to happy." He chuckled again and walked around to face her, careful to swish his robes out of the way so that they didn't touch her.

"I'm sure you've been told that Harry Potter knows of a way to kill me." His eyes flashed as he saw her head dart up, with barely concealed hope and a touch of fear. He smiled cruelly. "It is true."

Ginny swore that her heart skipped a beat. "What?" Did she hear him right? Everyone suspected, but it was one thing to hear it straight from Voldemort's mouth herself.

"The meddlesome fool Dumbledore informed him of my secret right before I had him killed. But, you can rest assured that the mudblood you're so fond of told me everything I needed to know. I have taken care of the problem."

Hermione told him? "She didn't tell you willingly. It wasn't her fault. And what's to stop them from telling the entire world?" She blinked and he was in front of her, one cold hand tightly grasping her face and the other digging a wand into her throat. It was a small satisfaction to know that she gotten to him.

"You can't run from the entire world."

He reigned his temper admirably, but she could still feel him trembling in anger as he purposefully invaded her personal space and jerked her head farther back to stare down into her eyes.

"I run from no one, Ginny Weasely. I've guarded the secret to my immortality for decades and if Harry Potter decides at any time to enlighten the rest of the world, do not think that I will not burn it to the ground."

Ginny trembled and tried to jerk her head away from him, but it didn't work. She took deep breaths through her nose to attempt to calm herself.

"Can I have my wand back?"

The question was abrupt and took him off guard. "Are you being serious? Why should I give you your wand back?"

Ginny closed her eyes briefly and then opened them, clenching her fists. "Because I'm not a Muggle," she burst out, crying again before she could help it. "I'm sick of looking for an hour to find something to light a candle with. I'm sick of Avery being able to do whatever he wants because I can't retaliate. I should be able to defend myself and if he's such an all-powerful Deatheater… then he should be able to take it."

He wouldn't give it back to her, she knew that, but her emotions had been bottled for so long, they all just came out. Besides, she thought that maybe Voldemort would find it amusing to watch her try and fight off Avery. Once she got her wand back, then there would be hope for some kind of escape or something. Anything to get away from Avery.

She almost didn't care anymore.

To her shock, Voldemort let go of her and stepped back, practically laughing. "This is so amusing." He raised a hand and her wand flew into it. He held it out to her without hesitation. "By all means, take it."

Ginny looked at him incredulously and then snatched it out of his hand. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed her wand before now. But, then she looked over at him.

"Why are you giving it back to me? Aren't you afraid I'll escape?"

He spread his arms wide. "Where could you go that I would not find you? Into hiding with your schoolboy lover?" he sneered. "I doubt he even wants you anymore. You have no options left. You'd starve on the streets."

She'd rather starve than stay here, she thought contemptuously. But, that wasn't entirely true either. There was something she wanted so much more than freedom. Something she would die for. She just didn't quite have the courage yet.

"So tell me, Ginny, what do you plan to use this wand for? Revenge? Murder? What sort of things have you been dreaming up these past weeks in that little head of yours?"

She was suddenly scared that this was a trick and looked at him apprehensively. "Nothing much. Uh, Bellatrix has been making me do these spells and I have to use her wand. I've been doing everything the Muggle way and I hate it."

He sneered and just then the door opened and Lucius Malfoy stepped into the room. He looked worried and not well kempt at all.

"Ah, Lucius, good of you to come. Please, close the door behind you."

"Yes, milord." He did as he was ordered and then returned to bow his head to his master. "What do you require of me, milord?"

"Young Ginny here feels that she has been mistreated during her stay at your home."

A malicious smile crossed over Lucius' face.

Voldemort continued. "I have returned her wand to her to even things out a bit, but first I wish to make sure that she is worthy of it."

Both Lucius and Ginny were puzzled, but scared. This could go in a million different directions, most of them not good.

Voldemort cocked his head at her. "If you want to keep that wand you have to do as I say first. Curse him."

Lucius looked at his master and sputtered, "What? Milord, you can't be serious."

"I can and I am," Voldemort snapped, causing Lucius to shrink back into the floor.

Ginny didn't move. "The Cruciatus Curse?"

"I am fond of that one."

"I can't," she began, hesitating.

"Ad why can't you? Because some archaic institution told you it was wrong? Lucius Malfoy is your enemy. There is no more Ministry of Magic. I am the Ministry of Magic, Ginny, and I say that it is perfectly fine to curse him."

When she still didn't move, he placed a hand on her shoulder and moved her closer to Malfoy. "You want to defend yourself against your husband, don't you? How do you expect to do that with the drivel they teach you at school?"

She looked down at her wand.

"Shall I tell you what Lucius did last night? Attacked a poor defenseless Muggle family without provocation. There were three small children, asleep in their beds, unaware of what was about to happen. I ordered it of course, but I can tell you with certainty that Lucius was more than happy to do it."

Lucius opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced with one deadly look from Voldemort.

Ginny was hesitating mostly from being raised to believe that the Unforgivables were just that—unforgivable to use on another person. What would her father say? Would he even blame her? She thought not. Not after everything she'd been through here in this hell hole.

Besides, Lord Voldemort was right. The life that she knew and loved was gone. And Lucius was lucky if all he got was the Torture Curse. He deserved to die along with the rest of his kind.

"You'll torture me if I do it," she said, still not entirely believing that there wasn't a catch.

Voldemort smiled and stepped back. "I give you my word that I will not."

Like that meant anything, she snorted inwardly. But, if she wanted to keep her wand, then she had to do this and get it over with. And it didn't shame her as much as it should've to realize that she wouldn't mind dragging this out a bit.

She tightened her resolve and raised her wand, pointing it at Lucius Malfoy's face. Everything he'd ever done to her and her friends flooded her mind and she looked at him hatefully.

"All you have to say is 'Crucio'."

Voldemort coaching her on how to torture was enough to make her feel sick, but she reasoned that she could throw up later. After she got out of this room with her wand. And if it was all a trick, then at least she would get to cause Lucius Malfoy pain first.

Ginny glared at Voldemort, who merely sneered, and then raised her wand a fraction of a second. "Crucio!" she said in a clear voice, and saw a dark red stream of light shoot from her wand and hit Lucius in the chest.

Yes *sigh* I have Ginny torturing people and Hermione Oblivating her best friends. I had to give Ginny at least one friend just to keep her from going insane. Next chapter I think I'm going to have a scene from Draco's POV. He needs to get over the Imperius Curse already, with a little help from Snape of course. Sirius is just being a drunk for now, but hopefully soon something will happen to snap him out of it.


	37. Another One Bites the Dust

**AN- Hello all! I'm back. I'm a horrible person, I know, but it was just so hard to motivate myself to write. By the way, I caught a mistake I made in the last chapter where it says that Ginny transfigured a couch from an old wooden crate. But, of course, since she didn't have her want yet she couldn't have. But, just ignore that and pretend it says that the couch was already there. I'll probably fix it later.**

**I also want to thank everyone who kicked me in the butt to update this past year because I probably would have gotten busy and distracted and just not done it. But, you guys guilted me into it. :):)**

**Alright, enjoy…**

Despite wiping their memories, nothing was the same between Hermione and her two best friends after that. It was as if they knew something was wrong but they couldn't define what it was. Harry avoided her and was curt whenever he had to address her. Ron seemed almost as if he was scared of her. The two spent all of their time together, even slept in the same room at night.

Hermione was a little hurt by their apparent mistrust, but she _had_ lied and modified their memories against their wills. More than once she'd thought about trying it again just so that things could go back to normal, but thankfully a part of her realized that was wrong. She needed a way to resolve things and quickly. They were the only two friends she had.

One night, she was by herself on the sofa, when a thought came to her. It was stupid and dangerous, but just what Harry needed. She knocked on their door and entered without waiting for permission. The two boys looked up with a mixture of apprehension and irritation.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you guys hate me for some reason," she began, without waiting for them for to start in, "but I have an idea." She sat on the corner of her parent's bed and looked around. It was strange being in here without her parents. Flashes of them screaming shot through her mind and she blinked hard, forcing the memories down. The cool trickle of control soothed her little by little.

"What?" Harry at least sounded cordial.

"Well, we're not doing anything right now. And we can't get into Malfoy Manor to find horcruxes with all the Deatheaters, not to mention _Him_, in there."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I've been thinking lately, you know, with all that spare time to myself," she added in a snide tone, and was pleased that they looked guilty, "and I've decided that we need some sort of distraction. Something big that will draw all the Deatheaters away from the Manor and leave it defenseless."

"Like what?"

"Well, like a rescue operation." She tried to keep her tone neutral. Her stomach was aching with the stupidity of this idea and a dull headache throbbed behind her eyes. It was almost as if the dark magic inside of her was fighting against what she was saying. "There are people being murdered and rounded up everyday and nobody stops it. Well, what if we helped out a bit?" she suggested looking back and forth between the two boys.

Harry perked up slightly. "But how? Everything is guarded. And there's a reward on all of our heads. What if we meet someone who decides that the money is worth turning us all in?"

"I find it hard to believe that an ordinary witch or wizard will be able to capture us, Harry," Hermione scoffed, arrogance dripping from her tone. "And besides, once You-Know-Who knows it's us messing up his plans he'll send out his Deatheaters for sure. Maybe not all at once, but if we can evade them for awhile he'll get angry and send a full force after us. Once he does that, the Manor will be left unguarded and we can sneak in and get the horcruxes. I've been making some potions with some of the stuff we found at Hogwarts and they should help, at least a little bit." She left out the part about the potion recipes coming from a dark magic book.

Ron looked scared. "I don't know, Hermione. Even if we do get into the Manor, what about You-Know-Who? He'll still be there."

Before Hermione could answer, Harry spoke up. "Not if I challenge him."

They both looked over.

"He won't be able to resist me. Above all else he wants me dead. He _needs_ me dead," he corrected firmly. "That's the only way he'll ever feel totally and completely safe."

Hermione pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes. I mean, no, but yes." Both boys looked at her like she'd gone loopy so she explained. "You're too valuable, Harry. But, you're right about being a distraction for You-Know-Who."

"So," Harry said slowly, waiting for her to explain more.

"So I think we should take a page out of Mad-Eye's playbook." She looked at them with a smile, knowing they wouldn't get it yet. Her smile turned condescending. "While the Deatheaters are busy trying to catch Harry Potter in some town fifty miles away, and You-Know-Who is busy trying to kill him in Malfoy Manor, the real Harry Potter will be sneaking around the manor in an invisibility cloak looking for horcruxes."

Harry looked aghast. "Polyjuice? Again? No way. No, Hermione, it was bad enough the first time. Don't you remember Mad-Eye actually got killed because of that plan?"

"Do you think that we'll be able to win this war without some casualties?" she asked coldly. "Besides, if everything goes accordingly, no one will die."

"When does that ever happen?" Ron protested. "Besides, who's going to be dumb enough to volunteer to look like Harry?"

"We have to contact the Order. As soon as we're for sure that no one is watching us we'll apparate to Shell Cottage. Your brother will know how to contact the rest of them." At Harry's mutinous face, she conceded a little. "At least, let's tell them about the plan and see what they think. Maybe there is new information that will help us."

After minutes of Harry mulling it over and Ron looking worried across the room, he finally agreed. But, then he sighed. "Regulas Black. Sirius' younger brother."

"What about him?"

"It would help to have another destroyed horcrux under our belts before we do anything. He's our only lead on the real locket. I think before we make a move on You-Know-Who we should find it and kill it. After that, then we can go to Shell Cottage."

Hermione cocked her head to the side before nodding. "You're right. There are steps. I wasn't suggesting we go confront him next week. I just think that should be something we consider as a distraction for getting into Malfoy Manor. But, we don't have any clues as to where to Regulas might have hidden the locket, so any ideas?"

Ron sighed glumly. "At his house. That we can't get into."

Hermione thought that it might be worth it to see for sure whether or not Deatheaters had gotten to it, but then Harry spoke up.

"I've been thinking of something for awhile now."

"What is it?"

Instead of answering, he stepped away and looked up and off to the side. "Kreacher!" he bellowed.

"Harry? What are you doing?" Ron asked nervously.

Hermione knew what he was doing, but would have appreciated a little warning before calling a potential spy into the only safehouse they had.

"Kreacher, get your ugly, wrinkly ass in here now!"

A loud _pop!_ sounded and Kreacher appeared inside the room.

"How the hell did you do that?" Hermione asked angrily. "The wards I put up don't allow apparition inside the house."

The tiny old elf looked at her sourly. "Filthy mudblood addresses me," he muttered in a quavery voice. "Mudbloods and Bloodtraitors in every corner. Speaking to me as if-."

Harry cut him off. "I forbid you to say 'mudblood' ever again. I order you to answer and obey all questions and commands that either of us ask of you without complaint. Is that understood?"

Kreacher didn't answer right away but his face started turning red and he seemed to have some sort inner turmoil tearing away at him. Finally, he gasped, "Yes, master."

Hermione felt a pinch of pity for him, but then shrugged it away. They had a mission to attend to and this house elf was a very good asset. "Kreacher, tell us about Regulas Black. What happened to him?"

Kreacher answered though it was apparent that his words and cooperation were forced. "Master Regulas was a good boy. The pride and joy of Missus Black."

"Yes, but how did he die?" Harry asked impatiently. "We know he was a Deatheater."

Kreacher looked up at him angrily. "Master Regulas was a good boy."

Harry snorted. "I don't know too many Deatheaters who are good, Kreacher. He stole a locket from his master and we want to know where it is."

Kreacher stopped speaking.

"I order you to tell me where it is."

Kreacher fought with everything in his soul, but in the end he broke down. "It was night. Master Regulas told me I must come with him. He said that I had to do everything I was told to do and then to come back to him right away." He sniffed. "The Dark One hurt me. Took me to a dark place full of evil."

"The lake," Harry said quietly and Kreacher nodded.

"I did everything he told me and drank foul burning water. He laughed and left me on the ground. I couldn't breathe and I saw horrible things. Horrible things," Kreacher cried, two tears trailing over his cheeks. "Then I went back to Master Regulas."

The looked at each other. "How did you apparate out of that place, Kreacher?"

Hermione answered before the elf could, having been thinking hard during his entire recitation. "The same way he got inside here. Elf magic is different than wizard magic." A glint shone in her eyes, but she didn't say anything else.

"Master Regulas told me to come back so I did. He tended to my wounds and told me how sorry he was for sending me into that place. He asked what the Dark Lord made me do and I told him about the locket. He was very angry and scared and then-," Kreacher sniffed again-, "he told me to take him back to that place. I didn't want to but I did. Master Regulas ordered me to obey his every command and to disapparate when he handed me the locket. He was on the ground crying and screaming and moaning, but I did what he told me to do." Kreacher started crying loudly. "I never saw my master again."

Harry looked sad. He knew what happened once you drank from the bowl. The burning thirst and then… the Inferi.

"It's not your fault, Kreacher. You would have died too. He was saving you because he loved you. But, why didn't you tell anyone about this before?"

"My master told me not to. He said I would gets into trouble if I did."

Harry squatted down to eye-level. "You would have. If the Deatheaters had found out what you did they would have tortured and killed you. But, it's a good thing that you told me about this. The man that caused your master's death can be stopped and part of that involves finding the locket that you took. We have to destroy it."

"Can't be destroyed," Kreacher said in a gravelly voice. "Not by fire, or hammer, or magic. Nothing I tried worked so I hid it."

"At Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked excitedly and the elf nodded. "Can you go there right now and get it for me?"

To everyone's surprise and consternation, Kreacher shook his head. "No, master. He stole it. I caught him going through the missus' things. He put his dirty hands everywhere and took what he wanted. I know he took the locket."

"Who?"

"The dirty thief with dark beady eyes."

"Mundungus Fletcher," Harry said. "It has to be. He's the only thief we know and he didn't come back after Mad-Eye was killed." He looked angry when he turned to Kreacher. "Can you find him for me?"

Kreacher nodded. Harry knelt down and placed a hand on Kreacher's shoulder, ignoring the wince from the elf. "Alright. I want you to go find Mundungus and then bring him back here with you. Is that clear? Don't do anything else. Just find him and bring him back."

Kreacher disapparated with a loud noise and the three teenagers were quiet as they waited. Minutes ticked by with no hint of Kreacher.

"If that little worm runs away on us, I'll wring his neck," Ron grumbled, throwing a small piece of wadded up paper onto the carpet.

Another few minutes passed and Hermione was starting to get worried.

Then there was a pop! and Kreacher appeared in the middle of her room, stomping on Mundungus Fletcher's stomach.

"Ow!" he howled, trying to throw the elf off him but with no success. His dull beady eyes found Harry. "Harry Potter! Get this thing off me. Please."

Harry stood over him glaring. "Not until you tell me where the locket is that you stole from Grimmauld Place."

Beads of sweat appeared on the thief's face, but at the same time Kreacher kicked him hard in the shin and he yelled. "I don't know what you're talking about. What locket?"

"Kreacher," Harry said, "take this baggage and dump him outside the Ministry. I'm sure they will be very interested in Mr. Fletcher here."

"No, no, no," Fletcher protested, pushing with all his might against Kreacher. "Okay, I'll talk, but get this thing off me."

Hermione raised her hand toward him in threat as Harry nodded at Kreacher. The old elf reluctantly hopped down off Mundungus' stomach and walked off to the side. Fletcher sat up breathing heavy and looked around.

"It's great to see you alive, Harry. I was worried. You can't blame me for running away can you? Mad-Eye was killed by You-Know-Who. I wouldn't have stood a chance against him and I didn't want to go on that mission anyways. You understand, don't you?"

Harry glared and shrugged. "I don't care about that. I always knew you were a weasel. I only want to know where the locket you stole is."

"Hey, I just figured since no one was coming back there and all that no one would mind if I took something to sell. Times are hard, you know."

"Where is the locket, Fletcher?" Hermione broke in. She was getting sick of his sniveling and excuses. "Tell me before I blast you all the way back to the dirty little hole you crawled out of."

"I don't have it anymore."

"Who did you sell it to?"

"I didn't want to sell it, but she came along and made me. You know, that Ministry hag. The short squat one who looks like a toad."

With a sinking feeling in her chest, Hermione looked at the boys. Their grim expressions mirrored her own. "Umbridge."

"Has to be," Ron said slowly. "I don't know anyone else who matches that description."

Since they seemed to know who he was talking about, Mundungus took the opportunity to get into their good graces. "Yeah, that's her name. Umbridge. Works at the Ministry of Magic. She's a nasty piece of work, that one. She was handing out this." He rummaged around in his dirty coat pocket and withdrew a tattered piece of paper. Harry took it and looked at it.

It was a wanted poster of Harry with 'Undesirable No. 1' at the very top. Hermione took it out of his hands. "I guess going to the Ministry to get the locket is out of the question."

"But, we need to get that locket. What other choice do we have?"

"Do you think she knows what it is?"

Ron asked and Hermione answered. "There's no way. He wouldn't have trusted _her_. Harry, have you gotten any flashes from You-Know-Who?"

He shook his head. "No, but that hasn't happened in awhile. Maybe he's found a way to sever the connection."

"Or maybe," Hermione replied grimly, "he hasn't had a reason to be angry lately."

They were silent for a few minutes while Mundungus looked back and forth waiting for something to happen. "So…" he said, after a few minutes had passed by, "Can I go?"

All three glared down at him. "No," Hermione practically spat, "you cannot. Since you decided to steal something very important to our cause, you can help up retrieve it. Get comfortable," she ordered.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Harry asked in a low voice and for the first time in a long time things almost felt normal again. Except for her urge to curse Mundungus with an Unforgivable.

Hermione gave the thief a withering look and addressed Kreacher, never taking her eyes off Mudungus. "Kreacher, I order you to kill Mundungus Fletcher if he so much as gives you a hint that he's going to betray us. Is that understood?"

Initially, Kreacher looked as if he were about to choke on his own tongue at Hermione addressing him, but as she finished her order, his eyes gleamed brighter than normal and he smiled. It was not a pretty sight. He looked down at Fletcher who was now cowering with fear in his eyes. "I understand."

"Thank you." Hermione turned and saw the judgmental and surprised looks her friends were giving her. "What? I'm not going to be handed over to You-Know-Who again because this sniveling worm decides to cash in on the reward for our heads. If Kreacher has to kill him to save us, so be it."

"I'm not going to order people to kill one another just to save my own skin," Harry protested. "How would that make me any different than Him?"

The absurdity of that question made her sneer and roll her eyes. "Well, let's see. I think that, unless you start fucking and torturing schoolgirls and then marrying them off to the members of the Order, you'll be safe. Have you forgotten Ginny so soon?" She had forgotten that Harry hadn't wanted Ron to know about his sister's fate and in an effort to not derail the progress they had made she hurried on. "Or Katie Bell? Or Lavender and Pavarti?"

Harry and Ron's jaws clenched. "No," Harry spat.

"Good. Neither have I. And I am not going back 'cause if I do, I'm dead. And not with the Killing Curse either. I'll be tortured to death. So forgive me for not wanting this," she gestured to Mundungus on the floor, "to be my undoing."

The boys were silent after that. Ron looked slightly green at her mention of Voldemort fucking people.

"Kreacher, concentrate and see if you can locate Dolores Umbridge. Try and find her as she's leaving for the day and apparate outside her home. Don't let anyone see you. You might be recognized."

Kreacher's lip curled ever so slightly at her order, but he looked at Mundungus and something about made him happy. He nodded. "Yes, miss."

"If something happens, no matter how small, apparate back here, but first go to the Forest of Dean. Don't come straight here in case anyone follows you. Maybe I should Obliviate Fletcher," she said to herself, tapping her wand against her cheek, "just in case."

In a loud staged whisper, Ron leaned over to Harry and asked, "Now who does that remind you of? Sometimes she's scary, you know?"

Harry glared at her. "Kreacher's my house-elf, Hermione. Shouldn't you ask me before ordering him around?"

"Damn!" Hermione ignored Harry and slapped her forehead with a hand. "An official as high-ranking as Umbridge won't leave the building through common means. She'll have her own Floo connected right to her home." _Shit_, she thought with a frustrated scowl.

"Well, maybe he can locate her if he concentrates hard enough?" Ron suggested. "He found Fletcher. I'm just saying."

Hermione thought of something and bent down toward the old elf. "Instead of focusing on Umbridge, can you focus on the locket? That's what we really want anyway."

Kreacher nodded.

She smiled in relief and straightened back up. "Good. Everyone should be going home from work soon. When you see the locket, do not do anything. Report back here first. Okay?"

Kreacher nodded and looked at Harry for confirmation. He nodded slowly and the elf disappeared with a pop. Harry looked at Hermione. "You have a plan, don't you?"

She smirked and nodded. "You still have the fake locket, yes? Well, once we locate Umbridge's house we can watch her for a few days. If we catch her at the right moment we can switch lockets and give her the fake."

"What good would that do?" Ron asked. "And how exactly would we do it? Wouldn't she know?"

"Not if I wipe her memory and make her think she went to bed early. If we can somehow get You-Know-Who to see her wearing the locket he'll go ballistic and rip it from around her throat. He might even kill her."

Harry looked uneasy. "I don't want to get her killed, Hermione. I know she's awful, but it wouldn't feel right."

She glared at him. "It's not like we would be killing her, Harry. But, if You-Know-Who thinks he has the real locket it will make him feel safer. He might even make a mistake that will help us defeat him. We need all the help we can get and if that bitch gets caught in the crossfire, all the better for the magical community."

Ron didn't look like he cared too much if Umbridge died or not, but Harry still looked miserable. Hermione swallowed her irritation and walked over to her friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. She rubbed small circles in an attempt to soothe him. "Harry, you have to do what you have to do. The sooner this war is over and _He_ is dead, the sooner we can get on with lives. You and Ron can go to Auror training and we can all get a house together. And we won't have a care in the world."

What she said seemed to make him feel better because he gave her a small smile and nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ron glare at them. Mentally she sighed and made up her mind to do what she rarely ever did anymore. Talk to Ron.

"Alright Harry, now if you don't mind, I'm going to steal Ron away from you for a moment, okay? Just think about what I said and you'll realize that I'm right." She gave him another encouraging smile before turning to Ron who bore a surprised expression. "Can I talk to you in my room for a minute?"

He nodded quickly and followed her out of the room and down the hall. Hermione closed the door behind them. Ron stood in the middle of her room awkwardly waiting for her to talk.

She took a deep breath and tried not relax. Ever since Ron had taken her from Malfoy Manor, she hadn't felt the same toward him. She avoided him at all costs, afraid that he would bring up something that was best left alone. Her brain was rewired now. She wasn't the same Hermione that he'd gone to school with last year.

"I know that I haven't been the greatest person to be around lately." She looked at him and saw that he was staring down at the floor, stubbing the toe of his shoe into one of the cracks in the tile. "I just don't feel the same, you know? The old Hermione feels like a completely different girl now." He still didn't say anything and she felt a rising frustration. He could at least make this a little easier on her, she thought in annoyance. "What I mean to say is that your one of my best friends, Ron, and I don't want to lose that."

He nodded down at the floor and she thought that he discerned her meaning. As she turned to leave, he stopped her. "Hermione?"

She turned back. "Yeah?"

"I don't know what happened in there."

She knew he was referring to Malfoy Manor and tensed up.

"I know a little bit, of course, but not the whole thing." He looked up at her and she swallowed, folding her arms protectively over her chest. "But, what I do know is that you're the smartest witch I've ever met, that any of us has ever met. And the bravest and kindest. Maybe you don't see yourself that way anymore for whatever reason, but I do. That's rare, Hermione."

Her throat was dry and a stinging pain was behind her eyes. Quickly it was gone, replaced by a cool relaxing feeling and she felt safer. She didn't say anything, just kept staring at him.

"Remember first year? Those traps set by the teachers to keep people from finding the Sorceror's Stone? We wouldn't have made it past the first one if it hadn't been for you. Second year, the Chamber of Secrets? You were the only one who figured out how that snake was getting around and that was the only reason Harry figured where the damn thing was in time to save Ginny."

She glared down at the floor. "None of that means anything, Ron."

"You were smart enough to figure out that Remus Lupin was a werewolf and kind enough not to tell anyone. The only reason me and Harry aren't starving and freezing our asses off right now is because of you. You battled Deatheaters with us in the Ministry fifth year and survived, Hermione. That's saying something."

"Even Neville survived. Obviously, not much talent was involved." She looked away from him. "What are you trying to say with all of this, Ron? If you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working."

The corner of his mouth lifted a little and when she looked back at him again, her breath caught in her throat. There was so much emotion in his eyes. "What I'm trying to say, Hermione, is that I love you. From the time that troll was loose in the bathroom and almost killed you because I'd hurt your feelings. You don't have to be afraid to be who you are in front of me because you think I won't understand. I will. I know who you are, Hermione, and just because you're a little different now doesn't mean that I don't. You're pissed off and angry all the time and you should be. You hate Umbridge and the Deatheaters? I do too. I don't give a shit whether any of them live or die. I hate them." He moved closer to her, but didn't touch her. "I don't know how you feel and that's not why I'm telling you. I don't want you to feel like you have to love me back. I just want you to know."

Hermione swallowed hard. "I don't just hate them, Ron. I want to kill them, all of them. I want to torture them to death. And I'm not brave, not anymore. I was at first, but after awhile it just got too hard." She turned away. "There's things that I haven't told you, things that I've done that you would hate. I—I . . . killed someone."

There was a heartbeat of silence and then, "Who?"

It was too late to backtrack now. "Sirius told everyone that he was on the run, hiding out, but I killed him. I was so angry at him for betraying me. I saw the memory. I saw him stun me from behind. I tortured him first before I killed him."

"Who was it? You can tell me."

"Kingsley."

He didn't say anything for a minute and she didn't turn around to see his expression.

"I'm not sorry about it either. I only wish I could kill him again over and over."

"He deserved it, Hermione. Me and Harry would've killed him if we'd gotten the chance. You don't have anything to be sorry for."

She turned around in surprise and a mixture of anger. "I saw your face in your room at the Burrow when I told you guys what happened to us at the Manor. You looked disgusted."

"I was disgusted, but not at you. I was pissed off and sick at the thought of what had happened to you, of you being . . . hurt that way. How could I be mad at you?" Ron shifted and looked guiltily down at the floor. "I know you must hate me for how I acted at the wedding. I hate myself for it. I had all this stuff I wanted to say and instead I acted like an ass and then the Deatheaters attacked and. . ." He blew out a breath and raked a hand through his hair. "I won't lie and say I don't care about what you told me about Malfoy because I do. I wouldn't love you if I didn't. But, I should've made it clear that I was mad about the situation, not at you. I hate him though. I always have and I always will."

She didn't know what to say. She brought him in here to let him down as gently as she could and to clarify their relationship to him, but now? The things he was saying were the last things on earth she'd expected to hear. And from him, of all people. Ron had never before spoken to her this way or articulated himself like this. It made her throat constrict and her chest tighten.

"You're saying these things without knowing everything," she said in a hollow voice, turning away from him.

"What could be worse than murder?" he joked, giving a weak laugh.

She grimaced at his attempt at humor. "I don't want children. Ever." She couldn't tell him the reason why.

"That's okay. I don't either."

He didn't really mean it though. Ron was so loveable. Eventually there would come a day when he'd want to share that love with his offspring. Offspring she couldn't provide. Offspring that Lucius Malfoy had robbed her of. She felt dirty, worthless, and less than a human being all at once.

A warm hand on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts and she jumped. He retracted it quickly. "Sorry."

She barely heard him. "Ron, I don't know what to say to everything you've told me. I—I love you too, but . . . I don't know in what way. I don't know if I can ever have a normal life after this. You and Harry have all these plans for what life is going to be like after we win this war, but I don't know."

He nodded slowly, looking down again at the floor. "I understand. Like I said, I just had to tell you while I had the chance. I don't want to pressure you or anything. I just hope . . . maybe one day . . ." He left the rest unsaid, but she knew what he meant.

He gave one last small smile and then walked out of the room, leaving her alone to think about everything he'd said with mixed feelings.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ginny stared lovingly down at her wand. A wand that had been hard earned. In the back of her head a voice told her that it hadn't been _that_ hard for her to get it back, but she ignored it. Using the Cruciatus Curse on someone was horrible and there was no way she enjoyed it. That would make her like Voldemort and she hated that thought.

She was back in her special room. Voldemort had given her wand back to her with a malicious, gleeful, triumphant expression on his face after Lucius had passed out from the pain. She hadn't known she'd had that much hate inside her, but she did now. Now she wanted to make sure that there were no restrictions or tracking spells on it.

Waving her wand, she said, "Avis," and several small brightly colored birds shot from her wand with a loud crack. They flew around the room a few times before settling down on an old cloak rack in the corner. She smiled down at her wand. At least it still worked for her.

She couldn't be sure that there weren't tracking spells on it though. How would she find that out?

Ginny looked over at the stairwell when she heard the noise of footsteps coming down. Though her heart raced in alarm, she knew it was Merin coming back to see her. Sure enough a blond head popped into sight. Merin's face was stony before settling on Ginny. Then she smiled and walked over.

"You came," the red-head stated. "I'm glad. I thought that maybe you wouldn't."

Merin scoffed and sat down gracefully. Her tone was mocking. "I'm sly and cunning, Ginny. Like all Slytherins. A few Deatheaters aren't going to stop me."

Ginny recoiled in shock. "What? You're in Slytherin house?"

Merin gave her a look. "Oh, well, if you're going to be that way about it I'll just leave. Maybe I'll encounter a Gryffindor on my way and send her down here." She made a move to get up, but Ginny quickly shot out a restraining hand.

"Wait, don't go. I'm sorry for being rude, it's just that I've never met a Slytherin I liked before. And seeing as most of their parents are trying to kill my friends and family—well, you can see my point?" As bad as Slytherin was to her, she didn't want to lose the only friend she'd made here.

Merin seemed mollified. "Yes, the others of my house can be quite unlikeable."

"I thought you were a half-blood. How did you get into Slytherin? I thought they only took purebloods?"

Merin smiled faintly. "Mostly that's true, but in my case an exception was made obviously. Besides, there more half-bloods in Slytherin than people think. Most of them pretend they're not, but you can't hide the truth forever." Her eyes deliberately dropped down to the wand in Ginny's hand. "So, you got a wand."

"Last night," Ginny said quickly. "The Dark Lord let me have it."

Merin cocked an eyebrow. "He let you have it? All you had to do is ask?"

Was there a mocking tone to her voice or was that imagined? Ginny nodded her head, not trusting her voice not to betray her. What would Merin think if she knew that she'd tortured someone last night?

"That's . . . odd. Why do you think he gave you your wand back?"

Ginny shrugged. "Probably to mess with me. That's his favorite thing in the world it seems, messing with my head."

"Because of what happened in the Chamber of Secrets? Or because of your relationship to Harry Potter?"

Ginny darted a look at her. "How did you know about the Chamber of Secrets? I thought Dumbledore promised only to tell my family and some of the teachers?"

Merin shrugged. "Everyone knows. Maybe Dumbledore just told you that to keep you from bothering him about it."

Ginny flushed and looked away. "So everyone at Hogwarts knows what I did? Great. You know, it wasn't like I knew what I was doing or anything. Volde—I mean, Tom Riddle was possessing me and making me do those things. I would never harm anyone of my own free will." Too late she realized that was a lie and flushed again.

Merin gave her an almost knowing look. "You'd harm Avery."

Ginny stood up and turned away. "I—I don't want to talk about that anymore. Do you know what he'd do to me if he ever found out I was even harboring a passing thought of actually harming him?" Just the thought of that retribution was enough to cause a panic attack.

Merin gave a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat that Ginny took for assent. She turned back to face the blonde girl, composing her face into one more pleasant. "So are you still hiding from the Deatheaters? How have you not been caught yet?"

Merin smiled faintly. "I told you before. I have my ways."

"I wish you could stay longer," Ginny said miserably. "You're always leaving."

Merin cocked her head and smiled at Ginny. "I wish I could too," she assured her. "But, if I stay away too long they will become suspicious."

Ginny nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "Let's talk about something happy. Where did you live before the war? Your father was a muggle, right?"

An involuntary grimace passed over Merin's face. "Yes. I lived in London. Where did you live?"

Ginny responded "Ottery St. Catchpole. I miss it so much." Tears pricked her eyes as she thought of the Burrow. "Sometimes I hated it when I was a kid because we were so poor. I never had anything new. Our house was barely holding together. But, my parents loved me. It was warm. Here it's always so cold."

"I was poor too. But, I didn't mind because I knew I was magical. A witch. I knew that one day I'd have everything I ever wanted."

Ginny couldn't relate. "I miss my mum so much. I miss her cooking and the way she'd hug me when I was upset. I miss my dad's weird stories he'd tell after he came home from work about muggle stuff he'd found. I miss being happy," she whispered, staring down at the stone floor. Then she shook herself and looked over at Merin. "You must think I'm pathetic. I usually never cry. I'm not overly emotional, it's just that it's been so long since I've talked to anyone except Deatheaters . . . or _Him_," she added darkly.

"How is that?" Merin asked casually. "Does he torture you?"

Ginny shrugged one shoulder morosely. "Pretty much every time. One way or another."

"So was that you I heard screaming earlier?"

Ginny's stomach flipped in place and she froze. "Um, no. It was Lucius Malfoy. He was being tortured." She omitted the part about her being the one doing the torturing and hoped the girl stopped asking her questions. Merin always had this way of making Ginny feel as if she knew all her secrets and it was hard for Ginny to lie to her.

"Why were _you_ there?"

"I don't know. He summoned me. I think it was because I am not pregnant yet . . . but I asked him for my wand back."

"And . . .?"

"He made me use an Unforgiveable on Lucius Malfoy before he'd let me have it," she whispered.

"So it was _you_ who was torturing Lucius."

Ginny looked over at her quickly. "I didn't want to. He made me. I just wanted my wand back."

Merin raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Why didn't you want to hurt him? He's a Deatheater, the enemy of your family and friends. He's killed children before, forced himself on girls, on your mudblood friend. He deserves everything he gets."

Ginny nodded, ignoring her use of the word 'mudblood'. "I know he does, but I still didn't want to. Except . . . I did like it after awhile. I just kept picturing all the times he insulted my parents and called us names just because we were poor. And he's the one who gave me that stupid diary my first year at Hogwarts. I almost died. If Harry hadn't found me when he did. . ." She shook her head, remembering everything that happened that year.

"But, it couldn't have been that bad. You don't remember most of it, right?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I was a little kid and it was first time away from home. The diary I found in my cauldron could write back to me and make me see things, during my blackouts I was releasing a giant basilisk that was petrifying my schoolmates, and You-Know-Who's past self was sucking the life out of me to make a return to the land of the living. It was horrible. And I still have nightmares too. I think they're memories of my blackouts that are coming back to me in my sleep."

Merin looked intrigued. "What are they about?"

Ginny didn't like how interested her new friend was in one of the worst times of her life so she answered vaguely. "Just stuff. Let's talk about you. Did you have a boyfriend at Hogwarts?"

Merin frowned in distaste. "No, I did not."

"Why?" Ginny was curious.

"There is no one who is worthy—good enough to be mine."

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at the weird phrasing. "Worthy? That's never been a prerequisite for kissing as far as I've ever seen. You do know that you can hang out with someone and it's not a marriage proposal, right?"

Merin gave her a withering glance. "That's the trouble with people, Ginny. Instead of concentrating on what's really important they waste their time with people who drag them down and ruin their potential."

Ginny laughed. "Potential to do what? Most people just finish school, get jobs, and have kids."

Merin leaned forward, staring at her. "Is that what you want? A boring job you hate and a bunch of whiny brats? Mediocrity?"

"No," Ginny confessed, "I just want to be normal and have a normal life. If we do win this war and I can have that then I'll be happy to settle for someone who doesn't hit me all the time and force me to do things with him." With a sinking heart, she remembered what she had to live with until that dream was made a reality. "That's why I wanted my wand. To defend myself."

"And how are you going to do that? Do you know any dark curses? Because that's what he's going to use on you."

"Do you know any?"

Merin shook her head. "I've seen the Cruciatus Curse and the Killing Curse. Those seem important, especially in here. Why don't you practice them?"

Ginny shook her head emphatically. "I can't kill someone, Merin. I already used the Cruciatus Curse and I didn't like the way I felt afterwards."

"Ginny, you don't have to pretend with me. You just don't like that it made you feel good, powerful," she emphasized. "Wasn't it nice to be in control for once? To be the one inflicting pain instead of the one receiving it? Admit it."

"I guess," Ginny mumbled.

"Avery only does to you what he knows he can get away with. What you _let_ him do. Wouldn't it be nice to show him that he can't use you anymore? To gain some respect?"

Ginny nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I guess, but that's never going to happen. I can't win against him. He's stronger than I am." She shivered, thinking about all the mean things he'd ever done to her.

A firm hand clamped down around her shoulder. "I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave? What is the harm is testing out your abilities down here in private?"

Ginny looked around at the dusty room and then glanced toward the stairs. She had a wand now. The room could be warded with silencing spells and keep other people out. It would be like in fourth year when Harry taught her and the other kids how to duel and produce Patronus'. That was fun, she thought wistfully. "What should I practice?"

Merin crossed her arms and stood up, looking down at Ginny. "Not today. I have to go. But, tomorrow I will help you practice the Cruciatus Curse."

Ginny felt faintly nauseous at that. "Can't we start with something less . . . horrible?"

Merin gave her a nasty look. "I can see you're not serious about this. I want to help you, Ginny, but I'm not going to waste my time if you're too afraid."

"I'm not too afraid," Ginny retorted angrily. "It was just a question. Where did you learn to do the Cruciatus Curse anyway? It's illegal." She glared at her suspiciously and folded her arms over her chest.

"It isn't illegal anymore. From what I hear the teachers are teaching it in school now. Do you want to be a victim your entire life?"

"I'm not a—," she was going to say 'victim', but as of right now she'd be wrong. She_ was_ a victim. Her face flushed in embarrassment. "Fine. I guess as long as I only use that curse here it's not as bad."

Merin turned abruptly and started toward the stairs. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Ginny watched her friend leave through the door at the top of the stairs and thought about how odd the girl was. She still didn't entirely trust her, but at the same time she didn't think Merin was a spy. There was just something off about her. Like the way she kept pushing her to kill Avery or use Unforgivables on people.

She _was_ a Slytherin at Hogwarts, she reminded herself. Her father always said there wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. It seemed to be ingrained in their blood to use evil curses.

Ginny looked around and realized she was all alone again. She desperately wanted her mum right now. To tell her what to do and whether or not she would be disappointed if her daughter learned to torture her tormentors. To reassure her. To tell her to kill them all if she could.

Anything to stomp out the indecision she felt now.

If she wanted to get out of here in one piece, she was going to have to toughen up a lot. The only way she would be able to see her parents again was if Avery was dead or if the bonds of their marriage was broken. She had a wand again which meant that she could perform magic, but she didn't know the first thing about severing marital bonds. Maybe there was a book in the manor on it. She wondered if she could get in there while Avery was gone on his mission.

Ginny stood up and bolted up the steps, only pausing every now and then to make sure no one was coming. The manor was surprisingly quiet and she wondered what time it was. She didn't encounter anyone on her way which was a relief and finally she saw the doors to the Malfoy library.

Inside it was dark so she lit a large lamp that was sitting on the small table towards the back. The library wasn't overly enormous, but it was full from ceiling to floor with books of every shape and size. Looking through them would take hours and hours. Guess I'd better get started, she thought, walking over to shelf against the back wall. She pulled a heavy thick book down and carried it over to the table.

XXXXX

The corridors of Hogwarts were deathly silent except for the sound of boots against stone. A lone figure strode with a purpose toward the Headmaster's tower and gave the password. The entryway revealed itself and the boy walked up the steps to the Headmaster's office, arrogantly pushing open the door without knocking.

Snape looked up from his desk without surprise. A blonde woman kneeled on the floor with her hands bound behind her back and her mouth gagged. "Mister Malfoy, you're late."

Draco sneered at his former professor. "What do you want? I do have my studies you know. Is this another pathetic attempt at intervention your part? If it is, you can save your breath."

Snape stood up and sent a quick spell to the heavy door of his office. A sheen of silver-blue coated it from top to bottom. At Draco's confused glance, he clarified, "So we won't be interrupted. No one can enter or leave without my approval."

Draco grew furious. "How dare you! I should curse you right here."

Snape let his comments roll off him as though the words were never spoken. Draco's eye flitted down to the bound woman.

"Mother? What is she doing here and why is she tied up?"

Snape flicked a bored glance at her. "I know you are under the Imperius Curse, Draco. I am almost sure that you are fighting it, but you need help. So I took your mother and I intend to torture her until you break free of it."

Draco looked coldly at him. "You don't know what you're talking about, you fool." His wand rose in the air, but Snape disarmed him quickly to the boy's surprise. "I will kill you," he spat.

Snape put the other wand on his desk and then aimed his own at Narcissa. The blonde woman pleaded with her eyes at her son, but he didn't move. Then red light hit her and she screamed, writhing on the floor in agony.

Draco didn't seem impressed. "My father will not like how you are treating her, Snape. He'll kill you."

Snape shrugged. "Well, your mother will dead so I guess we'll be even." He cursed her again, this time holding it on her for longer. He watched Draco as he stared down at his mother, looking for any sign that this was getting through to him. He thought he saw the boy twitch involuntarily, but that wouldn't be enough to break free of the curse.

He let off, giving Narcissa a break. "You can stop me at any time, Draco. Just use your mind and know that you are stronger than your father. His hold on you is tenuous at best. You can be free."

Draco looked at him sullenly. "Have you told the Dark Lord your suspicions?"

Snape sneered at him. "Yes, of course, and he's overjoyed to know that you have been under the Imperius without his knowledge or approval. I wonder what he's going to do?"

"You're lying. You wouldn't be doing all this if he knew. I'd be kneeling before him right now with his wand aimed at me."

Snape shrugged a shoulder. "You got me." He cursed Narcissa again producing more smothered screams.

Draco closed his eyes and tried to vie for control. His head was beginning to pound and he raised his hands to his temples. Inside he was yelling with all his might, willing his feet to move toward his mother, to help her.

Instead, he was only able to sink to his knees. The screams stopped, but he knew that they would start again unless he could break free and save his mother. He lurched forward, arm outstretched and saw Narcissa's eyes widen in her haze of pain.

"Good, Mister Malfoy, you moved your arm. Do it again," Snape urged.

Draco tried but the movements were stiff and uncoordinated. A bit of the pressure in his head was relieved a bit. It was a battle with himself to move it again.

"The more you practice the easier it gets."

"Shut up," Draco heard himself snarl, head bent and breathing hard.

"You're not leaving this office unless it's of your own free will. I'll torture your mother again if that's what you want."

"Do it. I don't care." Inside, Draco screamed for Snape to stop, but it was hard. His mother screamed again and he concentrated with all his might on breaking free of his prison.

For the last few weeks, he'd been practicing at resisting the curse his father had put on him and sometimes he could speak of his own volition and sometimes he couldn't. Sometimes it was a matter of flicking a finger or trying to move his body. It didn't matter. What did matter was that he was conditioning his mind to resist and it was getting stronger every day. That was the key to the Imperius Curse.

But, now his mother was getting tortured and there was nothing he could do to stop it unless he broke free once and for all.

Snape watched him carefully and let up on Narcissa. He wasn't using his full might, but he knew the curse still hurt. He wondered how long it would take Draco. He couldn't let the boy leave now that he had shown him that he knew. Draco would go straight to his father and tell him everything.

Draco was making progress, but Snape thought it was time to use the Cruciatus on Narcissa full force. "I've played nice so far, but I think now it is time for harsher measures."

Narcissa looked down and braced herself for what was to come. A small noise escaped from her throat.

"Stop."

Snape looked over at Draco. He was still kneeling on the floor, but had gained control of his voice for one second. "Make me stop, Draco."

The magic was trying to take back its hold on his mind, and Draco was trying desperately to keep it at bay. His mother screamed again, but this time he knew Snape had been holding back because the scream sounded like the ones that came from the Dark Lord's victims. Snape must have a lot of hate inside him.

Draco's head snapped up and he saw his mother's body contorted in an awful position. She's going to die, he thought in a panic. She's going to die and it'll be all my fault. She's right there. Right within reach. You can stop all this. Just break free. Break free. Break free. Move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move!

"Stop!" he yelled, standing up on his own and moving to his mother. Her screams stopped abruptly and he cradled her in his arms, hoping desperately that she was still alive. Sometimes bones broke when the Dark Lord tortured people and sometimes his victim's hearts stopped beating from the pain.

But, she was alive. He glared up at Snape, untying his mother's gag at the same time. "I'm going to kill you. How dare you use my mother like this? Torture her? Give me back my wand, you bastard," he hissed.

Instead, Snape sliced though the cords that tied her hands and then whispered a spell over her body. It turned a light pink before sinking into her form. "She will be fine. She volunteered for this."

Draco looked up at him in shock. "What are you talking about? No one would volunteer to be cursed like this."

"I guess you're not as smart as you think you are."

"Draco," Narcissa whispered, raising a hand to his face, "are you okay now?"

He nodded. "Yes, Mother."

"It's true. It was my idea to use me as motivation to break free of the Imperius Curse. I'm sure Severus thought of it first, but he was kind enough to let me verbally volunteer." She smiled weakly. "What's important is that you are yourself again."

"Mother, you could have died. What were you thinking?"

"Draco, when you have children you'll understand. I would die a thousand times if it meant saving you."

He felt tears prick his eyes. "What about Father? How could he do this to me, his own son?"

She closed her eyes. "Your father is not the same man he once was, not since the Dark Lord returned."

"I hate him," he hissed, not sure who he was talking about—his father or the Dark Lord. Both, he decided.

"I've tried so hard this past year to keep our family alive and together," she whispered, "but the safest place for you to be now is away from me and your father. The Dark Lord is too close and his mind operates on whims. He could decide to kill us all tomorrow or not. There is a place in the States that I have set up as a safe house. Professor Snape will help you to it."

Draco was shocked. "I can't leave you, Mother. Come with me. Leave Father to his fate. He deserves it."

"I can't. I've spent my whole life with him. Even before I got my letter to Hogwarts our families moved in the same circles. I can't remember a time when I didn't know Lucius Malfoy. I still remember when he was young and strong and a better man. I can't abandon him."

Draco stared at her and helped her to her feet. "I can't leave, Mother. You don't know what the school is like now. I can't just leave the other kids to the Deatheaters, especially not now that I have my mind back."

"But, you can't fight them, Draco, not without branding yourself a bloodtraitor."

"I know that," he said slowly, "but I don't have to openly fight them to protect the other kids. You don't know how I feel, Mother. It's been horrible. I feel like a coward all the time. What's the point of living if you hate yourself?" He was miserable. "I should have listened to Hermione when she tried to tell me about Father. I'm the reason her and Black got captured again. And I've tortured kids here too and all for nothing. Just because I was told to. Why did we even start following the Dark Lord? I can't even remember. It doesn't matter anymore, at least not to me."

Narcissa started crying into a handkerchief and he wanted to go to her, but didn't. She sniffed and raised her eyes to him. "I have never cared about any of that. As long as you're still alive, that's all I want."

"I'm only alive until the Dark Lord decides to end my life on a whim," he said darkly. "That's not living, Mother. It's a pathetic existence." He took a deep breath. "I'll stay here and keep up appearances, but I'm not on Father's side anymore. I'm not on the Dark Lord's either. I really hope I don't die, but if I do, I don't want to be known as a sniveling coward that was killed by the same man he swore allegiance to."

Narcissa turned to Snape. "I don't know what to do. Talk to him, please? I won't be able to bear it if you are hurt or worse, Draco." She rushed to kiss him and then threw some Floo powder into the fireplace and stepped in. "I have to go before I am missed."

Draco looked uneasily at Snape. "There's something I have to tell you. When I was under the Imperius curse I had to tell my father everything that I knew. So I did."

Snape stared at him. "He knows that I have betrayed the Dark Lord."

Draco nodded. "I—I didn't want to, but I wasn't strong enough."

Snape walked to the window and stared down at the grounds. "And yet I'm still alive so it is safe to assume that Lucius hasn't shared this news with him."

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't tell me anything. By the way, what should I tell my father?"

Snape's black eyes glittered in the moonlight. "Don't tell him anything. Keep pretending to be under his curse and come to me with any suspicions or information you might have. If there is anything I can do to keep him out of harm's way I will try, for your sake."

Draco paused before turning to leave. "I don't care anymore. Just keep my mother safe."

XXXXXXXXXX

_One week later_

Umbridge stared terrified down at the floor of Malfoy Manor. She couldn't look at the Dark Lord's face. "Please, my lord."

"Please, my lord," he mocked, staring down at the locket he'd just ripped from around her throat. The gold chain slid between his fingers. "Please, my lord, what?"

She didn't answer. Her voice failed her.

"I ask again, where did you get this?"

"My lord, I told you. I confiscated it from a thief in Diagon Alley weeks ago. M-Mundungus Fletcher was his name."

"And did this Mundungus Fletcher tell you where he'd acquired it?"

She shook her head in fear, swallowing hard. "No, my lord. I assumed he'd stolen it from someone else."

"Where is this thief located now?"

Her mouth opened and closed until she finally forced words out. "I don't know. Probably roaming the streets somewhere. He's a notorious criminal."

Voldemort turned his crimson gaze upon her and she shrank back. "It seems that since the Ministry cannot keep crime down to a minimum it is up to me and my Deatheaters."

The others in the room jeered and smiled just like he'd wanted them to. Umbridge's head darted wildly around trying to look at everyone at once without success.

"My lord-,"

"Silence!" he hissed, rising from his seat to pace around her like a snake. Umbridge cowered from her position on the floor.

Everyone else watched with mixed feelings as they wondered what he was going to do. History was not on the woman's side. Not many people in her position survived much longer. They all wondered what was so important about the locket.

"You are the head of the Mudblood Registration Commission, are you not?" He went on without waiting for affirmation. "You have been useful in that area and my spies tell me that you are loyal to our cause."

She raised her face which was filled for the first time with hope. "Yes, my lord, one of the most loyal."

"Still, like most women, you have proved yourself capable of being distracted by trinkets and shiny objects. Why didn't you arrest Mundungus on sight rather than let him go? You said yourself he was a thief."

"I didn't know who he was until afterwards."

"After what? Confiscating the locket?"

She shook her head. "No, after . . . after. . ." She stopped and struggled to find the right answer, but could not. "I don't know."

Voldemort frowned and then a moment later he aimed his wand at her. "You're memory has been altered." He smiled. "I'll just have to rip the information out."

Before she could scream or protest, he was in her mind. The events during the last few days leading up to this encounter were clear. Then things started becoming hazy until a black wall slammed down around him, blocking her mind from further intrusion. He smiled. Whoever had done this had powerful magic. He'd have to kill them very soon.

Forcing his way through the blackness, everything was still muddled. He raced past it toward an earlier time, scanning and picking through everything he saw. The thief selling his stolen wares on a street corner, Umbridge taking the necklace with greedy eyes, work at the Ministry, dozens of screaming sobbing witches and wizards being dragged out and away from their families, lonely nights at home, cats, the thief again, this time with a house elf—wait. He stopped and paid closer attention.

This last kind of memory was what he liked to call the fringe, things a person sees without even knowing it. The thief, Mundungus Fletcher, was standing outside her house for two nights without her even knowing it. He was accompanied by an ancient house elf. Maybe she'd seen out of the corner of her and brushed it off. The locket gleamed around her neck and she kept touching it every so often, as if it were one of her cats. Next the doorbell rang, she answered it, looked angry, and was promptly Stunned.

Try as he might to dig deeper, he couldn't find anything after that. He backwards and forwards over that particular block of time in her mind and soaked in everything he could. Who was powerful enough to alter someone's memory so that not even he could find the truth?

In frustration and disgust, he exited the woman's mind, leaving her a blank heap on the floor. After a moment or two of studying her, Voldemort spoke. "Yaxley."

"Yes, my lord?"

"I'm afraid you're now in charge of the Mudblood Registration Commission." A small smile curved his 'lips' as if he'd made a joke. "Someone clean this up." He waved a hand at the assembly, dismissing them, and walked slowly back to his chair, staring down at the locket and thinking about everything he'd seen.

**Alright, there you have it. Just to get the timeline straight, we are now mid-November in the story. Sorry there was no Sirius again but there will be next chapter. We have to catch up and see what he's been doing this whole time. No much—mostly drinking. But, there's going to be a major development in the next chapter that frankly just has to happen. We've got some dead weight that's been hanging around for a dozen or so chapters. Hope you liked this chappie. I tried to make it long to make up for how horribly neglectful I've been.**


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